Pride and Prejudice
by isumi 'kivic
Summary: If ‘Pride’ fell for ‘Prejudice’, he would fell into a deep slumber state on his birthday. Will his family let him sleep forever? Will ‘Prejudice’ know and prevent his slumber? Shounen-ai, YuuriWolfram. Chap 16: Which Wolfram did they have to face?
1. Cecillie's Story

_**Title: Pride and Prejudice, a Maruma fic**_

_**Author: isumi'kivic'**_

_**Pairings: YuuriWolfram, possibly other pairings in later chapters.**_

_**Warning: This story contains shounen-ai or yaoi, or slash. Read at your own risk.**_

_**Disclaimer: Do you see Yuuri and Wolfram married, yet? No? That's because I don't own Kyou Kara Ma-Ou. If I do, I'd have them married by now, really. And I'd have them kissed on their own will, not just because that idiotic machine and Shinou's domination on Wolfram's consciousness. But, the truth is, I love Shinou more than ever now, because he made our beloved royal couple kissed..-squeal- Let's just hope that Takabayashi Tomo-sensei would have them married soon.. –sigh- oh, and Pride and Prejudice is owned by Jane Austin. I just used it for the title.**_

_**Summary: If 'Pride' fell for 'Prejudice', he would fell into a deep slumber state on his birthday. Will his family let him sleep forever? Will 'Prejudice' know and prevent his slumber? Shounen-ai, YuuriWolfram.**_

**A/N: Uhm! This is my second KKM fic, and the first one that would be a multi-chaptered fic. This fic mainly focusing on the royal couple: Yuuri and Wolfram, and the relationship of Cecillie's children: the brothers, with addition of their mother, of course.**

**Ah, I also would like to thank my incredible, talented friend in this YuuriWolfram fandom: Thia-Lien (Did I spell it right?). This fic is dedicated to you, because you're the one who inspired me to write this fic. It's really fun to talk to you! I just hope that you wouldn't grow bored talking with me.. hehe. Sorry I often annoyed your night…XD**

**Woah… I actually did this chapter in three hours..-amazed at myself-**

_**Pride and Prejudice**_

_**Chapitre One: Cecillie's Story**_

It's just another ordinary day in Blood Pledge Castle, Shinmakoku..

"Yuuri, you cheater! You smiled to her!"

"For crying out loud, Wolfram! She's only three years old!"

….with the casual fight between the royal couple: The Maou and the Prince. As usual, the fight always drew some amused soldiers and maids, making them stopped in whatever it is they were doing and shifted their attentions to the royal couple.

"What is it they're fighting about this time?" Lasagna whispered to Sangria in a tone of curiosity and amusement. Sangria chuckled, shaking her head.

"Nah, this only proves that they truly are love each other. A relationship would be sour if it's not decorated with fights, wouldn't it?" the maids then shifted their attentions back to the royal couple.

"Ah! I see! Not only with girls, now you're flirting with kids as well! What are you, a pedophile?"

"Don't you ever say that in front of me again! Besides, I didn't flirt to anybody!"

"Cheater! Wimp!"

"Don't call me wimp!"

"Maa, maa, Wolfram, Heika," Conrad's deep voice interrupted their yells. Both boys turned to the brown haired man, who was standing near them with Greta, eyes filled with amusement. "I believe Wolfram still has duties to attend to, and Greta wants to play baseball with Heika," he gestured to the little princess, who was pouting cutely.

Yuuri sighed. "I'm sorry, Conrad. Come here, Greta, we'll play together,"

Wolfram glared at him. "We're not finished, yet, Yuuri!"

Conrad chuckled, before turning to the watching soldiers and maids. "Everyone, go back to whatever you're doing, please. This is not something to witness,"

Watching the hurrying soldiers and the giggling maids walked away, Conrad smiled, before turning his attention to the royal couple. Greta rushed into Yuuri's embrace, her face radiating her smile.

"Let's play, let's play, Yuuri! When Wolfram is done with his duties, Greta want him to read another story book before dinner!" she announced. "Can we, Wolfram?"

Wolfram smiled at the little princess. "Of course, Greta,"

"Yay!" Greta chirped happily. "C'mon, c'mon, let's play!"

But Greta barely pulled Yuuri one step before another voice echoed through the hallway. A familiar voice, with a melodramatic tone..

Yuuri slapped his forehead. "Aaakh! It's time to study with Gunter! Conrad, can we just go? Hide somewhere? Please?" the Maou pleaded his Godfather. Conrad merely chuckled, while Wolfram rolled his eyes.

"You wimp, you need to study! As a king, you'd need those knowledge about cultures and histories and so on!" the blonde prince said. Yuuri pouted slightly, and turned his attention to Greta. "But.. Greta wants to play baseball.."

"Heika!" upon the familiar voice, Yuuri's head snapped up. He grinned sheepishly at the sight of his advisor. "Eheheh… Gunter.."

"Oh! Heika! I was so worried! You didn't answer my desperate calls! I thought somebody had kidnapped you!" the advisor wailed dramatically while rushing to the Maou and grabbed Yuuri's hand. "But, no need to worry, Heika. I can protect you while we're studying. Come on, we don't want to waste our precious time together, do we?"

Wolfram's eyes narrowed. "Gunter! Hands off my fiancé!" he barked. Gunter merely rolled his eyes. Yuuri chuckled nervously at the raising tension between them.

"Ehh.. Gunter, but.. Greta wants me to play with her.." he tried to offer the advisor an excuse. Gunter stopped, his eyes immediately brimmed with tears.

"Ah! As expected from Heika! What a great father you have become!" he exclaimed dramatically. At this, Greta couldn't restrain her laughter.

"It's okay, Yuuri!" she giggled. "Greta will accompany you to study! You can read the history of Shinmakoku to Greta again!"

Yuuri's face lit up. "Well, that's great! C'mon, then!" he pulled Greta along as Gunter proceeded to drag them both. Greta laughed uncontrollably, waving her hand to Conrad and Wolfram before they disappeared into the study room.

Wolfram sighed. "That wimp.. always being idiot as usual.." he grumped. Conrad smiled.

"Ah, Wolfram, isn't that what had made you fell for Heika?"

Almost instantly, Wolfram blushed. He glared at Conrad dangerously, but the half-mazoku Prince only smiled wider.

"There they are!" another familiar voice snatched their attentions. Both boys' eyes widened at the familiarity of the firm, fearless tone…

"Conrad, Wolfram!" the voice called. Wolfram subconsciously stepped back, while Conrad hurriedly plastered his mighty smile.

"Yes, Anissina?"

The red haired mazoku walked nearer. Conrad could see Wolfram twitched in fear with the corner of his eyes. He wondered what kind of invention Anissina would force them to try this time. The noble lady stopped gracefully before them.

"Conrad, Wolfram, could you-…"

"No!" Wolfram quickly refused. "No! Never! I would never, ever!"

Anissina blinked. "Eh? What are you talking about? You acted like you're being offered to try cliffdiving,"

This time, it's Wolfram's turn to blink. "Huh? Cliff-.. what?"

"It's something Heika mentioned about people jumping from the cliff for sports. I figured it probably scary for some people," Anissina shrugged. "Anyway. Could you meet Celi-sama in her room, now? She said it's important,"

Conrad raised one of his eyebrows. "Only that? This is not about.. another invention you made?"

"No, no, it's Celi-sama's request to talk to both of you. But if you really want to try some of my inventions, I'm actually looking forward to try my new 'Take-Me-Back-To-That-Time'-kun! I was inspired by this 'time-machine' theory Heika said impossible to make.."

"No!" Wolfram cut her, horrified at the thought of trying Anissina's new invention. "We'll meet Hahaue now! Come on, Weller-kyo!"

The blonde prince stormed off. Conrad chuckled slightly before nodded to Anissina, and walked away in a slightly quicker pace than usual.

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Cecillie calmly poured some tea into the cup in front of her oldest child. Gwendal thanked her quietly. The ex-queen of Mazoku smiled widely and offered some sugar, but Gwendal refused politely.

"What do you want to talk about, Hahaue?" Gwendal asked, curiosity shone in his eyes. Cecillie merely smiled.

"Now, now, Gwendal, we have to wait for your brothers. It wouldn't be fun if they missed a word, now would it?"

Gwendal sighed. His mother had ordered Anissina to call him and his other two brothers. He wondered what other crazy plan Cecillie had in her head that caused her to ask Anissina to call the brothers. Anissina, of all people in the castle! That must've been because she knew no one would refuse to go from Anissina.. before the red haired mazoku offered them the honor to try her new inventions..

A knock on the door snapped him back to reality. He glanced at the door as Cecillie said in a queenly manner, "Come in,"

The door opened, revealing the two figures of Gwendal's half-brothers. Conrad cast him a smile, and Wolfram nodded respectfully. Cecillie twirled towards them and greeted them with her mighty tight hug.

"Conrad, Wolfie! Come on, take a seat! I have Doria prepared some tea for us to enjoy!" she announced as she twirled back to her seat and proceeded to pour some tea into the two cups left. Conrad and Wolfram both took their seat on Gwendal's left and right side.

"Sugar, Conrad? Wolfie?" Cecillie smiled. Wolfram and Conrad nodded, both feeling confused on their mother's sudden caring behavior. True, Cecillie's moods and plans and acts were always unexpected, but this was kind of.. weird.

But Cecillie always did weird things, didn't she?

"What is this about, Hahaue?" Wolfram started, he couldn't help his curiosity. Cecillie flashed him a bright smile before she put a teaspoon full of sugar into Wolfram's cup—too bright, actually. It made Conrad and Gwendal frowned.

"Is something wrong, Hahaue?" Conrad inquired. Cecillie finally settled back and raised her cup, her smile still plastered on her face as she shook her head.

"No, no.. nothing is wrong, my dear Conrad," she chuckled, but anyone could catch a slight nervousness in her tone. Gwendal sighed. His mother, apparently, did not want to tell them straightforwardly about the problem.

"Then, why do you call us here?" he asked, more like stating, actually. Cecillie took a sip from her teacup and exhaled. Silence followed her actions, the three princes waited for her to start talking.

"This is all started when I met Scheiner von Bielefeld."

The three of them blinked at the same time, but only Wolfram could manage to say, "Father?"

"Yes," Cecillie nodded, her face lit up with memories. "I was still young back then… after having Gwendal and Conrad, I met with Scheiner. He was such a beautiful mazoku.. my heart was immediately drawn to his.. I can still remember the way his golden hair shone so brightly under the moonlight.. oh, yes, we met when I was in a village's festival. It was a beautiful night, with fullmoon and stars above us.." Cecillie sighed dreamily. Gwendal rolled his eyes, Conrad tried to restrain his chuckle, and Wolfram raised his eyebrows in boredom. Cecillie had always told them stories about her love adventures, and really, it was boring.

"Well, with our desire to each other.. we were young, still young.. not that I'm not young now, but, yes, I was much more young.. although my beauty isn't falter after all these years.."

Gwendal, Conrad, and Wolfram had to admit that it was an absolute truth.

".. and he was a noble, too. When we got back in the castle, we got a little carried away.." Cecillie winked at Wolfram. The three brothers blushed as they caught what Cecillie meant. "Ah, it was a very beautiful night, indeed. I pray I could have such another beautiful night someday.."

Gwendal cleared his throat. "So.. what is the point of this, Hahaue?"

"Ah, Gwendal, no need to rush, honey." Gwendal's eyebrows raised in exasperation at the name Cecillie used to him. "We still have some time before dinner. Don't worry about your duties, my children. Tomorrow wouldn't go anywhere,"

Gwendal sighed and took a sip form his cup, silently telling himself to be patient with his mother's story.

"We were very happy when we knew that I was pregnant again.. this time with Wolfram," Cecillie nodded to herself, her eyes glazed and her face in a dreamy look, lost in her memories. "The flirty men did not falter, though. Even they knew that I was pregnant, but they still couldn't stand my beauty and grace. I'm a little bit embarrassed about this.." Cecillie giggled. ".. but I was thrilled at their sincerity. Yet, again, I was really in love with Scheiner. I could tell that he felt the same.."

At this point, Gwendal allowed himself to think about other things. Conrad, apparently, preferred to busy himself with his cup of tea, while Wolfram was gazing at Cecillie with bored expression. Cecillie continued her story about how she and Scheiner loved each other in a drama queen manner for the next thirty minutes.

".. and just two months before Wolfram was born, we went to a lake. I rode the horse with him.. he was very gentle, indeed. Such a noble gentleman," Cecillis giggled again. "He dismounted me from the horse and picked me up—in bridal style, if you want to know the detail—and we spent almost the whole day enjoying the peaceful quietness of the lake.."

Silence followed Cecillie's words. Realizing that the ex-queen had trailed off, the three brothers looked up to her. Her cheerful expression had gone, replaced by a sorrowful and dreaded one.

"Hahaue?" Conrad called worriedly. "What's wrong?"

Cecillie looked at her three children. Tears formed in her eyes as she shook her head repeatedly. "Everything was wrong," she whispered sadly. Gwendal, Conrad, and Wolfram exchanged glances worriedly at Cecillie's sudden change of mood.

"Everything.. was wrong. Everything _**is**_ wrong.." a tear rolled down Cecillie's cheek. "Everything after that was wrong.."

Silence. Gwendal frowned at his mother's crying face. He much preferred Cecillie's cheerful face to her crying one. She was his mother, after all..

"What happened after that?" Conrad asked, feeling slightly uneasy about this. Cecillie let out a quiet sob.

"..When Scheiner and I were getting ready to head back to the castle.. a man came," she continued, her voice barely a whisper. "He looked.. very, very angry. I didn't know who he was until now.. but Scheiner knew him. He suddenly became very protective, he drew out his sword towards the man.. I really didn't understand why, because the man didn't seem like he had weapons with him.."

"What did he look like?" Wolfram asked.

"He.. he was slightly taller than Gwendal now.. his eyes were red, and he had long, silky, silver hair. He was a handsome man, if not for the long scar along his left cheek that went down to his neck. His expression was terrifying.." Cecillie choked back a sob. "He threatened me to stay away from Scheiner, whom he called his destined soul mate.."

"And?" Conrad pressed.

"He saw that I was pregnant, and he asked Scheiner whether the child was his or not. Of course, Scheiner said yes, and he also said that he had enough of that man's stalk. He said it had been four years that man had followed him everywhere. The man said that he was destined to be with Scheiner, and he wouldn't hesitate to get rid of everything that got in his way." Cecillie bit her lips, obviously terrified of the memory.

She then continued, "Scheiner wouldn't let him, of course, and he fought for me. That man was actually a magician, and also a powerful thunder-controller mazoku. He was no match with Scheiner, really, and Scheiner finished him off within minutes. But.." she trailed off. The three brothers waited patiently this time until she opened her mouth again and spoke,

"..but.. he cast a curse with his last strength before he died.."

"To father?" Wolfram asked. They were all surprised when the ex-queen shook her head. She stared at them sadly.

"He cast a curse.. to the child I was carrying. To Wolfram."

A tensed silence immediately filled the room. Gwendal's fist clenched, Conrad's eyes narrowed, and Wolfram's face was serious.

"To Wolfram?" Gwendal said, wanting to confirm what he had just heard. Cecillie nodded.

Wolfram inhaled sharply, before daring himself to ask "What.. what was the curse?"

"Because it was me, a mazoku queen whom Scheiner fell for.." Cecillie bit her lips. "He.. he cursed the child I carried that if.. if he or she fell for a Maou like Scheiner…" she trailed off.

The three brothers tensed, all knew fully that it had happened.

"If.. I fell for a Maou like father… what would happen?" Wolfram's voice was slightly trembling.

Cecillie looked at her youngest son sadly.

"If Scheiner's child fell for a Maou like he did.. then, on his birthday after he had fallen for a Maou…the child would fell into a deep slumber state and would never wake up… trapped between life and death.. not living, but not died either…"

Cecillie's words completely stunned the three brothers. Slowly, their gaze fell upon Wolfram's unreadable expression.

"Wolfram.." Conrad began, but Wolfram shook his head, smiling to his mother.

"There is no need to worry, Hahaue." He slowly rose to his feet. "Even though I am engaged to Yuuri, you know that it's only an accidental engagement. I will never fall for a wimpy king like Yuuri."

Cecillie's face was all wet with tears now. "But, Wolfram.."

"Don't worry," Wolfram insisted. "Now, please excuse me.. I still have duties to do. Aniue, Weller-kyo," he nodded respectfully at his brother, and headed to the door.

After the door was shut quietly, Cecillie burst out into a heartbreaking sobs. Conrad stood and walked over to her, gently pulling her into his embrace. "Hahaue.."

"He lied.." Cecillie sobbed. "He lied.. Conrad.. he lied.. you know that.."

"We know, Hahaue," Conrad felt his chest constricted painfully. He inhaled deeply, willing himself to calm down. "We know fully well that he was lying.." he glanced at Gwendal, whose expression grim.

"But.." Cecillie wailed. "He had fallen for Heika..and.. and that means.. on his next birthday.." she sobbed uncontrollably. "Conrad.. I.. I don't want to lose him.. I don't want to lose any of my children again.. not after you.. and him.. Conrad, I would lose him for the second time!"

"We will find a way to remove the curse." Gwendal stated firmly, his gaze met Conrad's. "We will not let this to happen. There must be a way to remove the curse."

Conrad forced a smile. "Gwendal's right, Hahaue," he said gently. "We will save him from the curse. There must be a way. We will figure out how to save him. Trust us."

Cecillie nodded, burying her head into Conrad's embrace.

Gwendal sighed heavily, clenching his fist so hard, but he felt numb. The news of Wolfram's curse shocked him completely. He desperately wanted to get out from the room and immediately order Gunter to look for _anything_ that could remove the curse, and then go to Shinou Temple to ask the Great Sage about the curse.

And, judging by the look on Conrad's face, he could tell that Conrad felt the same.

The fact that it was their beloved brother who had the curse shattered their protection wall they had built for the youngest prince since he was a child. They always thought that Wolfram was safe, safe from the cruelty of the war, from the dangers outside the castle…

Facing the truth that Wolfram was never really safe shaken them.

"Please.." Cecillie whispered softly between her sobs. "Please.. save your brother, Conrad.. Gwendal.." she bit her lips. "Please.."

Gwendal's eyes met Conrad's. Determinations were exchanged.

"We will, Hahaue. We will."

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Tbc

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A/N: Ah, yes. Another angsty fate for our beloved Wolfram. –laugh evilly- I think it's the worst state.. to be trapped between life and death. Humm.. I wonder if I can finish this fic..

Please review and tell me what you think! I do need a beta for this fic.. seeing at my horrible English.. –sob- Oh, and yes, it's my habit to type Cecillie instead of Celi or Cheri in the narration. But in the dialogues, I'll use Celi. I had a habit of typing Gwendall instead of Gwendal, too.. but I think I was able to stop that.. XD

I didn't know what Wolfram's father's name is, so I made it up. As far as I remember, the anime never told us his father's first name. If I was wrong or someone knows his father's first name, I would gladly change it.

Thank you very much for reading up to this point! Review, please! Constructive Criticisms are welcome! Flames are welcome, too.. because I will need some flames to cook my favorite noodles: Indomie! Hehehehehe.. YEAH! INDOMIE!

Next Chapter: A novel could resemblance their lives so much…

P.S: Nisa-san… kangen pisan pengen ngobrol.. OL lagi doong.. tapi kalo lagi sibuk dan nggak sempet ya udah.. ditunggu lho.. fic selanjutnya.. oh-ya, situ punys FS gak sih?

(With love, isumi'kivic' and Ilde)


	2. The Pride and Prejudice

Title: Pride and Prejudice, a Maruma fic.

Author: isumi'kivic'

Beta: Invikta.

Pairings: YuuriWolfram, possibly other pairings in later chapters.

Warning: This fic contains shounen-ai or yaoi or BL or slash. Definite OOC. You've been warned, nya! Read at your own risk! Hoi, hoi!!

Disclaimer: I am pretty content to be a fanfiction author. Do I hope that Wolfram is mine? Yes, nya, definitely. But let's just give applause for Takabayashi Tomo-sensei for creating such an incredible series of Kyou Kara Ma-Ou. _Pride and Prejudice_ forever and ever owned by Jane Austen, nya. The dialogues used here is taken from the movie _Pride and Prejudice_, directed by

A/N: I'm typing this in a Computer Application class. My teacher told me to warm up to type something.. and because I really don't know what I should type, I just tried to type my fic, nyaa. Teehee..

Anyway, I'd like to thank all the reviewers and readers for the first chapter. I almost fainted, nya! It's a record for me, seriously. Hoi! Thank you very much, everybody, doumo arigatou gozaimasu, nyaa… and I hope I wouldn't fail you guys for this fic. –grins- Please read through this chapter and review! Please!! NYA!

HUGE thanks for Invikta for beta-ing this. I totally love you, nya!-hugs-

This chapter is still dedicated to my incredible KKM author friend, THia-LieN. I hate you for dragging me fall down into the brotherly relationship when you know perfectly that it's almost impossible to crawl out of it.. –hugs- Anata o natsukashii, nyaa! Val's Day fic-nya jadi lhoo.. ditunggu!

Nya! Important information! If you see the following formatted texts:

_**Pride and Prejudice**_: The line said by Mr. Darcy.

_Pride and Prejudice_: The line said by Elizabeth Bennet.

Enjoy the second chapter, minna-san, nya!! Hoi hoi!!

P ride and Prejudice

_**Chapitre Two: Pride and Prejudice**_

"…and so, Shinou dwells in his shrine, for he is the Original King, and he will look after Shinmakoku for many, many years to come." Yuuri finished the last line he had to read from the history book. In his lap, Greta smiled broadly, her eyes twinkled.

"That was very good, Yuuri!!" she squealed. "Shinou is great! Yuuri is, too!"

Yuuri grinned sheepishly. It had been the three days since Greta started to accompany him in his studies with Günter. True, it was much more fun to study with her. He hadn't been running away from his advisor for three days, which was really a record for him.

"…and Yuuri will be a great Maou, too! Just like Shinou!" his daughter gave him a hug. "Thank you for the story, Yuuri!"

Günter smiled. "Well, Heika, it seems that our lessons have to end for today," he said, suddenly going into his melodramatic mode. "Even though we have to be parted for a while, Heika, I promise I will be there if you ever need me! I will not fail you, Heika!"

Yuuri sweatdropped. "Uh.. yes, Günter. I'm.. uh.. glad you're always here," he laughed nervously at his advisor's antics. When Greta nudged him, he turned to his daughter. "Saa, Greta, shall we go play now?"

Greta looked at him hesitantly. "Anou, ne.. Yuuri, Greta had promised Sangria to help her making cookies.." her face brightened. "Greta will try to make delicious cookies so we can have a picnic with Wolfram!"

Yuuri raised his eyebrows, a little bit disappointed, but smiled nonetheless. "Sure, Greta. Now go, don't let Sangria wait long for you."

The girl cheered and then practically fled from the room in rush excitement. Yuuri merely laughed and shook his head. He turned to Günter. "So, Günter, what are we going to do now?" he said cheerfully, but then frowned when he found his advisor was spacing out. "Günter?"

Günter immediately snapped back into reality. "Ah.. My apologies, Heika. I was thinking about something.." he stood up hastily. "I have to go meet Gwendal now. Do you need me for anything else?"

Yuuri shook his head, amused at his advisor. "No. Oh.. if you meet Conrad somewhere, could you tell him that I'll be waiting for him at the backyard? I want to play baseball,"

Once again, the advisor looked guilty. "Forgive me, Heika, but Conrad will be in the meeting with Gwendal and myself," he said. "There's something important we have to discuss."

Now, that turned on Yuuri's interest. "Something important? About what? Don't I need to know?"

"It's only something important for my troops, Heika. No need to worry," Conrad's voice startled both the Maou and the advisor. Yuuri turned, his face immediately brightened at the sight of his Godfather. Conrad stood in front of the door, smiling.

"Conrad," Günter acknowledged him. "I assume you're here to tell us something?"

"Ah, yes," Conrad smiled. "I just received a notice from Geika. He said that Shouri will come shortly."

"Eh?!" Yuuri exclaimed. "Shouri?! Really?!"

"Yes, Heika," Conrad nodded. "He'll show up in the castle's fountain, so there's no need for us to pick him up at Shinou's Shrine,"

In an instant, the Maou leapt up from the chair he was sitting on and rushed out of the room, shouting, "This is great! Shouri will be here!" Conrad chuckled at his Maou's sudden spirit.

"Then, I guess our meeting will be delayed because we'll have to welcome Shouri-heika, am I right?" Günter said casually as he put some books back on the shelves. Conrad nodded, his expression suddenly turned from a smile into a solemn one.

"Have you found something.. anything about this, Günter?" he asked, voice barely a whisper. Günter sighed, and slowly shook his head, expressing his disappointment.

"Unfortunately not. I've been reading some books looking for ways to break it, but.. I haven't found anything useful. I've been doing research in order to obtain some information about the mazoku who cast the curse, but I don't think it's going well, either,"

"We don't have much time left," Conrad murmured, his eyes narrowed in anger and disappointment. "We have only four months before his birthday,"

Günter nodded in understanding. "I know," he said, casting his gaze outside the window. "We're doing our best. I hope we'll make it in time."

Conrad nodded, flashing a forced smile. "Thank you, Günter," he said, before heading to the door. He paused, looking at the advisor. "Are you coming to greet Shouri-heika?"

"Of course. I will be there shortly."

Conrad nodded and exited the room.

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A splash in the fountain was all Yuuri needed to jump straight into the castle's fountain and hug his older brother, shouting joyously, "Shouri!"

Shouri gasped, face mixture of surprise and relief. "Yuu-chan!" he coughed a bit when he accidentally swallowed some water. "Yuu-chan, let me breath first.."

"Oops. Haha.. I'm sorry, Shouri," Yuuri grinned, reluctantly releasing his brother. He smiled broadly when Shouri looked up. "Welcome to Shinmakoku again, Shouri! It's been a while since you came here!"

"Actually, it had been only two days on Earth," Shouri stood up, gratefully accepting the towel that Günter handed out to him. He glanced up at the people surrounding them: Gwendal, Conrad, Wolfram, Günter, Greta, Murata, some soldiers he didn't even know, Cecillie and Anissina, and some maids in the castle.

"What a party," he mumbled under his breath. Yuuri chuckled. "We want to welcome you, Shouri. That's why everybody is here," he smiled gently at his brother.

"It's Oniichan for you, Yuu-chan," Shouri reminded him, and Yuuri immediately raised his eyebrows in exasperation.

"Anyways," Yuuri stepped out of the fountain, smiling thankfully at Günter when the advisor handed him a towel. "Murata told us that you were coming. Are you going to stay long?"

Shouri shook his head. "Just for today, I think. I have a surprise for you, Yuu-chan," the older Shibuya smiled. Yuuri's face lit up, already wondering what it might be. "I'll tell you later."

"Eeh? Shouri!" Yuuri protested. Shouri chuckled. "Don't worry, Yuu-chan, you'll like it."

"Welcome again, Shouri-heika," Cecillie winked, giggling like a schoolgirl, and in a second she was already clinging on Shouri's right arm. "Cute as usual, that's Shouri-heika. Say, have you got someone in Earth now? I was thinking, maybe.."

"Celi-sama!" Günter rushed forth, grabbing Cecillie's hand and dragged her away. "That is very impolite and improper, not to mention that it's the Maou of the Earth, and yet-…!" his dramatic screams could still be heard as he dragged Cecillie back into the castle. Shouri sweatdropped.

Conrad smiled. "Saa, Shouri-heika, forgive us, but Gwendal, Günter and I need to be in the meeting. I assume you wouldn't mind to be escorted to your room by Wolfram?"

Shouri glanced at the blonde prince standing next to Gwendal. He frowned in wonder when he noticed that Wolfram looked absent-minded. Nonetheless, the Earth Maou nodded.

"Excuse us, then," Gwendal grunted, whirled around and left, followed Conrad, who flashed Shouri one of his mighty calm smiles.

Shouri turned to Yuuri once they were gone, and smiled.

"Pack some of your things, Yuuri. We're going to go back to Earth for a while,"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"I can't believe this!" Yuuri exclaimed, grinning widely, as he sank back to his bed. "Shouri got two tickets to watch the final Koshien! I can't wait!"

Wolfram stared at him in incredulity. "What's a Kosen?"

"It's Koshien, Wolfram!" Yuuri pouted. "It's our biggest baseball tournament!" at this exclamation, Wolfram raised his eyebrows. "You mean.. that silly throw-and-catch game?"

"Wolfram, it's not a silly throw-and-catch game!" the Maou grunted. "Ah, even if I explained it to you, you wouldn't understand," Yuuri stood, crossing the room to find his pyjamas. Shouri had told him at dinner that they were going to watch the final Koshien together. Apparently, Shouri had won a bet with his college friend and got two tickets for Yuuri and him. His older brother told him that they'd go after dinner, so they could get to the Koshien straight away, and get back to Shinmakoku afterwards.

Wolfram looked thoughtful for a moment, before saying brightly, "You know, Yuuri, I think I should come with you,"

"Huh?" Yuuri blinked, unsure of how to react. "Uhm.. why the sudden interest on baseball? I thought you hate the game.."

Wolfram rolled his eyes. "I'm not going to go to that Kashin thing, you wimp. I'll just wait for you until you get back."

"It's Koshien! And don't call me wimp!" Yuuri protested. "Besides, what are you going to do staying at my house, anyway? You'll definitely get bored!"

The blonde mazoku shook his head in exasperation. "Yuuri! As your fiancé, I need to know your family better! It's been quite a while since the last time I saw your mother!"

Yuuri sweatdropped. It's not like I'm seriously engaged with him.. it was an accident! He thought, subconsciously formed a pout on his face. Wolfram frowned.

"Yuuri!" he yelled, impatient. "No matter what you'd do, I'm coming with you and it's final!"

Yuuri sighed. "Okay, okay.. chill up, Wolfram. Geez… why the sudden outburst.." he mumbled. Wolfram sent him a glare, and a "Humph!" before sitting back down on their bed.

Silence followed as Yuuri proceeded to take his pyjamas and some other things he needed to take back home. He whirled back, setting his possesions on the bed, and turned back to his fiancé. "Oh, by the way, Wolfr-… Wolfram?"

Wolfram—being silent because of the sleepiness he had been trying to suppress—immediately snapped back to reality. "Huh? What?"

Yuuri frowned. "Are you okay?" there was a hint of concern in his voice. "You look exhausted,"

"I'm fine." Wolfram snapped. "I'll go tell Aniue that I'll go to earth with you. And don't you dare to go ahead with Shouri-heika without me!"

As the blonde mazoku prince stormed out of the room, Yuuri sighed loudly.

Wolfram.. he shook his head as he thought; always as moody as ever..

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Blood Pledge Castle, late at night..

"I see you let him go with Heika," Günter spoke softly as he approached Gwendal, who was standing in front of the bookshelves in the library. Gwendal merely grunted, "Hn.", not turning his attention from the bookshelf before him, still looking for a certain book he needed to read.

Behind Günter, Conrad smiled, looking up from the book he was reading. "I think it's a good chance for him to be closer with Heika, Günter," he said, bending down to his book once again, skipping through some pages. "Heika needs to spend more time with him. Or else, he would never get a chance to know Wolfram properly before their marriage,"

Gwendal merely nodded in agreement. Günter turned to Conrad, incredulity shone in his eyes. "And when the marriage would be, Conrad? Next year? Another two years? Does Wolfram even have much more time before.." Günter trailed off as Gwendal turned and shot him a sharp look.

Conrad looked up, and flashed them a dry, tired smile. "Don't worry, Günter. He will have more time. And we'll make sure of that," closing the book he was reading, he got up to another shelf and put the book back. "I still haven't found anything, yet.. the book I just read did not mention about such curse.. what about you, Gwendal?"

Gwendal picked up an old, thick book from the shelf he'd been facing. "I haven't either. Just pick up another book and keep looking. There must be something useful we can find to solve this problem." He swiftly walked to one of the table and sat, starting to read the book.

Günter nodded, before turning his attention to the book he was holding, while Conrad's eyes scanned the shelf he was facing for another book about curses.

The monotonous tick-tock of the clock silently telling them that it was already past midnight, but they didn't stop.

For Wolfram.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"We're home!" Yuuri cheerfully announced as he made his way out of his room down to the living room, followed by Shouri and Wolfram. There was an excited squeal from the kitchen, and the hurried steps, and Shibuya Miko appeared from the kitchen, eyes gleaming in happiness.

"Yuu-chan! Mama missed you so much!" she hugged Yuuri, practically squeezing him. Yuuri's arms flew indignantly, trying to break free from his mother's hug. True, Miko's hug was not as suffocating as Cecillie's, but still..

"Kaasan!" the boy protested, finally giving up. Miko reluctantly let him go, giggling madly, before settling his attention to the other two boys. "Welcome back, Shou-chan! And! Wolf-chan!" once again, she squealed, and jumped forth to hug her son's fiancé. "It's so good to see you again! How are you?"

Surprisingly, Wolfram didn't try to break free from her hug. Yuuri's inner mind fliched at the sight that the blonde was actually smiling happily at his mother. Maybe Wolfram had been so used to Celi-sama's hug? He wondered curiously.

"I'm doing very well, Mother. Thank you for asking," politely, the mazoku prince answered. Miko giggled again, before releasing Wolfram. "That's good, Wolf-chan," she winked. "And call me Mama," at this, Wolfram merely smiled.

"Oh, right, Shou-chan, Yuu-chan, you have to rush if you don't want to be late for the Koshien final," Miko glanced at the clock. It was only eight in the morning. "Uma-chan would be coming down in a little while. What do you want for breakfast?"

Yuuri grinned sheepishly. "Uhm.. Kaasan.. we just had dinner, so.."

Miko nodded cheerfully. "Okay, then. And you, Wolf-chan, are you will be going with them to Koshien?"

Wolfram raised his eyebrows and shook his head. Miko's face brightened, and she quickly announced loudly, "In that case, you wouldn't mind to help me cooking and taste my cookies, would you? Come on!"

As his mother dragged Wolfram—who happily followed her—to the kitchen, Shouri and Yuuri exchanged glances, amused.

"You know, Yuu-chan.." Shouri began casually, "Maybe he wouldn't be a bad wife after all,"

Yuuri raised on of his eyebrows. "Shouri! I told you it was an accident! How was I to know that slapping his left cheek meant proposing?"

"It's Oniichan, Yuu-chan."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Later at noon..

"Wolf-chan?" Miko turned to the table, surprised at the now sleeping mazoku prince. "Ara, araa.. I don't know that you were tired. You should have told me before," she smiled gently. For a moment, the mother of the two Demon Kings was silent, looking at the peaceful sleeping face of the blonde.

"How beautiful.." she sighed, smiling. "Yuu-chan is so lucky to have you as his fiancé. He has to learn to be grateful about it, don't you think, Wolf-chan?"

The blonde merely shifted a little bit for a more comfortable position, unaware of his surroundings.

After another long moment of silence, Miko got up, skipped happily to her room to take her digital camera. A great opportunity shouldn't be wasted! She thought; giggling all the way back to kitchen. Maybe she could use the picture later to tease Yuuri. Who knows, perhaps this picture would be a beginning of a beautiful love adventure between her son and the young Prince.. she sighed dreamily at the thought. Carefully taking a good angle with the camera, she slowly snapped a picture of the sleeping Prince.

The camera flashed brightly.

"Uhhn.." Wolfram stirred, looking sleepy and tired. His eyes instantly fell upon the smiling figure of Miko, who hastily had hidden her digital camera behind her back. Wolfram raised an eyebrow. "Mother?"

Miko giggled, her eyes softened at the sight of the sleepy mazoku. "Wolf-chan, if you're tired, you can sleep in Yuu-chan's bedroom. It'll be more comfortable,"

"Ah.. did I fall asleep?" Wolfram quickly straightened his posture, trying to blink away the sleepiness. "No, No need for that, Mother. I'm sorry I fell asleep."

Miko smiled. "Now, Wolf-chan, you looked tired. Why don't you take a little nap while waiting for Yuu-chan? I'll wake you up if they come home,"

"Really, Mother, I'm fine." The blonde prince smiled back. Miko nodded. "Well.. if you say so. Anyway, I was just wondering.. how are things going in Shinmakoku? How's everyone? Is Greta well? Has Celi come back from her voyage? How about Gwendal, Conrad, and Günter?"

"Ah.. yes. Greta and everyone else are good. They're doing great, actually. Thanks to Yuuri," Wolfram answered, idly playing with the end of the tablecloth. "Hahaue is staying in Blood Pledge Castle. She said she wants to spend some time in the castle, and she doesn't think she'll be gone again for quite a long while."

Miko nodded, and then, more curiously and cheerfully, asked, "What about you, Wolf-chan? How's everything going? How's your relationship with Yuu-chan?"

The cheerful question actually took Wolfram out guard. The blonde was silent for a moment, before hastily answering in a solid tone, "Of course it's fine as usual, Mother. Why wouldn't it be?"

Miko's eyes glinted in understanding, before sighing and rising to her feet. She smiled at Wolfram, and grabbed his arms, dragging him to the living room. Wolfram obediently followed, not knowing what was she going to do.

"Look here," she pointed at the bookshelf. "Do you see those black cases? Those are DVDs. They play movies."

Wolfram's eyes raised in confusion. DVDs? Movies? What were they?

She grinned happily as she forced him to flop down on the couch, before skipping happily to the bookshelf and took one of the DVDs thing. She then opened the case, taking out the circle, silver disc and put it in a machine placed near the big screen Wolfram had known as a TV.

"Mother?"

"Just watch," she hummed happily. "This movie is one of the best. It's based on a novel, a romance storybook. It's such a lovely novel!" She squealed as she casually sat down on the couch next to Wolfram. "The title is Pride and Prejudice. I'd love to have you read the book, too, but since you can't read it, then I guess, it'll be just fine if you watch the movie."

Wolfram's eyebrows furrowed in confusion as he turned his attention to the now blinking thing called TV. Miko sat comfortably next to him, eyes fixed on the screen, sighing dreamily once in a while as the movie started.

And, even though Wolfram didn't understand how those people could fit into the big screen called TV, he was still transfixed by the movie all the while they were watching. He felt a familiar longing crept up on his heart every time he saw two characters staring at each other with such obvious love in their expression.

"They're good actors," Miko commented in a mumble, but Wolfram almost didn't hear her. His gleaming emerald eyes were intent on the screen.

Slowly, he knew why Miko had wanted him to watch this.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Conrad and Gwendal stopped their steps as they caught a sight of the Daikenja in front of the fountain in Shinou Shrine. Murata Ken smiled knowingly as the two mazoku princes nodded respectfully at him.

"Von Voltaire-kyo, Weller-kyo," Murata nodded back. "It is very unusual for you to come without Yuuri."

"It's an important matter." Gwendal spoke curtly. "Have we your permission to talk to Shinou?"

Murata raised his eyebrows, not expecting Gwendal to be very straightforward about this problem. True, Gwendal was always being straightforward, but he was just asking to talk with Shinou! "Well, seeing as how both of you seem very anxious about this, I can't help but wondering what might be the problem that brought you here. Am I allowed to be in your conversation with Shinou, then?"

Conrad merely smiled. "Of course, Geika. And we would like Ulrike to know, too." He glanced at the priestess who stood behind Murata. Ulrike looked a little surprised, but then nodded.

'Very well, then." Murata turned around. "Come on."

The Daikenja led them to the room where the boxes were kept. Gwendal and Conrad exchanged glances as they walked nearer to the door. Ever since the event with Soushu, they always had a certain bad feeling whenever they were going to go inside the particular room.

Murata firmly opened the door and led them inside. Sure enough, Shinou was there, standing and smiling his infamous confident smile to greet them.

In an instant, Gwendal and Conrad knelt before the original Maou. Shinou smiled. "Raise, Von Voltaire-kyo, Weller-kyo. It's a pleasure to meet both of you again,"

Reluctantly, the two mazoku princes rose to their feet. Shinou smiled, his eyes glinted with understanding.

"I assume you come here to talk about Von Bielefeld-kyo?"

Conrad nodded. "Yes. We.. been looking for any information we could find about the curse, but there was none."

Shinou nodded, satisfied. "And you came here to ask for my help." He stated as-a-matter-of-factly. He turned to Murata, who already stood next to him. "And, you're hoping that my sage would be able to give you advice about this."

"Yes, Heika." Gwendal said. Murata looked at Shinou in exasperation. "What is this about?"

Shinou smiled, a victorious one, towards his sage. "My Daikenja, do you not know anything about this? If so, then this is the first time you have let a precious piece of information slip away,"

Murata raised an eyebrow. "Well, Shinou, I have to admit that I've been very busy lately." He grinned. "Weller-kyo, would you mind telling me what curse are you talking about?"

Gwendal and Conrad exchanged looks. Hestitantly, seeing as his brother wouldn't bother to explain, Conrad began, "Wolfram had been cursed—unknown to us all, and even to Wolfram. Hahaue was the only one knew, and she told us about this last week."

Murata cocked his head in curiosity. "And? What's the curse?"

"If.." Conrad stopped for a moment, contemplating on how he should explain without wasting too much time. "If Wolfram fell for a Maou—in this case, Yuuri-heika—on his next birthday, he would be trapped between life and death."

Murata looked interested. "Needless for me to tell you that Von Bielefeld-kyo has already fallen for Shibuya," he stated. "And.. how did he get cursed?"

"It's a long story," this time, Gwendall huffed in exhaustion. "But to make it short, let's just say that someone was jealous at Hahaue, and cast a curse to the child she was pregnant with, which in that time, happened to be Wolfram."

"I see." Murata nodded. He actually wanted to know more about the story, but he figured he could ask Cecillie personally later. The two mazoku princes before him seemed to be in no mood on wasting any time. "So, we have only four months before Von Bielefeld-kyo's birthday, am I right?"

"Yes," said Conrad. "That's why, we intend to find a way to remove the curse before his birthday comes."

Once again, the Daikenja nodded in understanding. He turned to Shinou. "Unfortunately, at this moment, I don't have any idea to solve this problem. Does Von Bielefeld-kyo know about this curse?"

"Yes," Conrad replied. "But he denied that he has fallen for Yuuri-heika,"

"Ah, I see," Shinou smirked. "Von Bielefeld-kyo's pride is really high,"

"Aside from the fact that he might not want to make everybody worried and treat him differently," Ulrike spoke for the first time. "Isn't he always like that?"

Gwendal gave a heavy sigh as an answer.

"Does Shibuya know?" Murata asked, already guessing the answer. He smiled when Conrad slowly shook his head, confirming his guess.

"Then, Shinou?" Murata turned to the original Maou, who kept silent since Conrad began his story. "Do you have any idea on how to break the curse?"

Shinou still looked thoughtful for a moment. "You said you've tried to look for information about the curse," he said, more like talking to himself. "Have you considered to find a descendant from this mazoku who cursed Von Bielefeld-kyo? Some powerful magicians chose to give all their knowledge about magic to their descendants so that the magic would never be gone. Perhaps if we could find the heir, he might know something—any clue—to break the curse."

Gwendal and Conrad looked surprised. They hadn't even thought about it!

"Then again, Shinou-heika," Conrad argued, "We don't know the mazoku's name. We only knew his physical appearance, based on Hahaue's memory. Is it enough?"

"Nothing's impossible, Weller-kyo," Shinou smirked. "We still have four months, and I'm certain that there's more than enough time to find his descendant. In the mean time," he gestured to Murata and Ulrike. "My Daikenja and Ulrike could keep looking to find the way to break the curse."

Murata nodded. "I think this is the best that we can do now."

Gwendall and Conrad looked at each other, relief evident in their eyes. "Thank you, Shinou-heika."

Shinou smiled. "Ah. It's just my way to pay for the problems I've caused you all."

Gwendal nodded gratefully and respectfully. "We still have duties to do. Excuse us, Shinou-heika, Geika." He looked at the priestess and nodded again. "Ulrike,"

"Please be safe on your way back," Ulrike replied, smiling. Conrad smiled back. "We will."

As the two mazoku princes exited the room, Murata sighed.

"No wonder Von Bielefeld-kyo looked easily exhausted nowadays," he shook his head. "I have noticed it, but I couldn't confirm my suspicion."

"As expected of my Daikenja," Shinou smiled. "And if you don't mind, my sage, would you do a favor? Not exactly for me, but more for Von Bielefeld-kyo,"

Murata stare at the original King, contemplating his answer. Sometimes Shinou's wish could be very unreasonable. "Depends on what you want me to do."

"It's an order, then," Shinou replied easily, and Murata rolled his eyes. The original Maou chuckled at his reaction.

"I want you to help Shibuya Yuuri to realize his feelings," Shinou said. "No matter what it cost. To be honest with you, I have a feeling that we won't be able to break the curse in time."

"Shinou-heika.." Ulrike began, a bewildered expression on her face, but the original Maou raised his right hand, silently telling her to be silent. "This does not mean that I'm being pessimistic, not at all. But looking at the situation at this moment, we don't have much chance to break the curse. That's why, we should give Von Bielefeld-kyo his wish before he runs out of time."

Murata looked at Shinou, trying to read the gleaming sapphire orbs. At last, the Daikenja sighed.

"I'll do what I can, Shinou,"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Shibuya Miko smiled widely in satisfaction when she was done with setting the table for dinner. Next to him, looking exhausted, was Wolfram. Although the youngest prince looked very tired, he was still smiling at Miko's bright face.

"This is great!" Miko squealed. "Everybody will come home soon, and then we can have dinner together. I'm done with my kare, and.. Wolf-chan, do you think we should make dessert?" the mother of Shibuya family skipped back to the kitchen, humming tones in a cheerful voice.

"Yuu-chan really likes ice cream for dessert," Miko said cheerfully as she opened the fridge and started to look for ice cream boxes. She pulled out one box of ice cream and whirled around. What's your favorite flavor, Wolf-chan?"

She frowned at the now spacing out mazoku. Looking blankly at the kitchen counter, Miko noticed the exhausted and sleepy eyes. Raising her eyebrows in concern, she called, "Wolf-chan?"

The blonde mazoku seemed to be far away in his thought. Miko frowned, worried. "Wolf-chan?" she waved in front of the emerald eyes. "Wolf-chan? Hello??"

Blinking, Wolfram snapped back to reality. "Ah.." he stuttered, and the smiled apologetically. "I'm sorry, Mother. What did you say?"

Miko scrutinized the blonde's features. "Wolf-chan, you look tired. You really should go to bed and rest for a while."

Again, Wolfram shook his head at the invitation. "I'm alright, Mother, don't worry." He said almost idly. He blinked several times to shove the sleepiness away. Why am I easily exhausted lately? He wondered, not noticing he was spacing out again. When Miko clapped her hands in front of his face, he startled. "Ah.. I'm sorry."

"See, you are tired.." Miko sighed. "At least sit down and rest. I'll take care of the dessert. Okay, Wolf-chan?" she gave Wolfram a stern look, and Wolfram had to nod. He wondered how on Shinmakoku Miko managed to give him that stern look.. as if Wolfram was her own child.

At this thought, Wolfram smiled softly.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Shibuya Shouma patiently filled the plastic pool he had drag to the backyard with water, once again, while Shouri was helping Yuuri, Miko and Wolfram bringing all the things Miko had insisted Yuuri had to take back to Shinmakoku.

"These are presents for everyone!" Miko announced happily. "Send my hugs and kisses to Greta, Yuu-chan. Tell her her Grandma misses her!"

Yuuri sweatdropped. "Yes, Kaasan,"

"It's Mama, Yuu-chan!"

Yuuri rolled his eyes. Wolfram was already at the backyard, talking with Shouri. His mother had pulled him back inside, saying that she had something important to tell Yuuri.

"Ne, Yuu-chan, do you realize there's something wrong with Wolf-chan?" Miko's statement startled the Maou. Yuuri looked at his mother as if his mother had grown a second head. Receiving Yuuri's reaction, Miko just laughed softly, part amused and part surprised that Yuuri didn't notice what she had noticed about Wolfram.

"Oh, Yuu-chan, don't you notice? He's your fiancé, you know, give more attention to him,"

Yuuri rolled his eyes. "Kaasan, I thought I've told you that our engagement is an accident! He's a boy!"

Miko's eyes glinted. "But, Yuu-chan, he seemed to be serious about it, don't you think?"

Yuuri sighed. "Well, he probably thinks that it's part of his duty.."

Miko waved her hands in dismissal. "Now, Yuu-chan, that's not what Mama wants to talk about. Don't you notice that he looks exhausted?"

Now that she mentioned it.. Yuuri's eyes strayed to the backyard, looking at the particular subject his mother was talking about. Sure enough, the blonde mazoku looked kind of tired. "Ehh.. it's probably because he didn't get enough sleep?" Yuuri grinned sheepishly, realizing that it was a lame excuse. His mother shook her head in amusement.

"Yuu-chan, you should give him more attention..."

"Kaasan, I'm sure he's alright. He's probably just a little tired. Don't worry," Yuuri smiled. "And Wolfram is very strong. I'm sure he's okay,"

Before Miko had a chance to answer, Wolfram's voice came. "Yuuri! Wimp, what are you doing? We have to get back quickly! We don't know how long you've gone in Shinmakoku! Aniue will kill me if we come home late!"

Smiling triumphantly, Yuuri winked to Miko. "See, Kaasan? I told you, he's okay!" and before Miko could argue, he gave her a quick hug and ran out of the house. "I'm coming, I'm coming! Don't call me wimp!"

Shaking her head in slight disappointment and concern, Miko finally yelled, "It's Mama, Yuu-chan!"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Blood Pledge Castle, Shinmakoku..

Night once again had fallen peacefully, lulling the inhabitants of the castle with its calming darkness, only brightened with the shines of the stars and the Goddess of Night, peeking shyly behind the dark clouds. It was nearly midnight, and most of the living creatures had surrendered into the embrace of deep sleep, seeking joyous dreams and escaping dreadful nightmares.

Except, maybe, for a certain blonde mazoku prince, who was lying on the Royal Bed, next to his beloved King and little Princess. The striking emeralds were still opened, occasionally blinking, but they were hazy with clouds of thoughts. Yes, there was something in Wolfram's mind.

_**I have struggled in vain and can bear it no longer. These past months have been a torment.**_

Wolfram's eyes blinked once again, and softly, he let out a heavy sigh.

It's been a torment.. he silently agreed. And yet, I can't tell him what I feel for him.. what a coward..

Then again, If I told him, what would his reaction be like? Disgust? Anger? He is prejudiced… but I can't blame him for this. He is raised in a society that denies this kind of relationship. However, knowing him.. he probably wouldn't take my feelings seriously. He would thought that I was only kidding, that this engagement is still there because I think it's part of my duty to protect him..

Slowly, the emerald eyes shifted until finally fell upon the unaware, sleeping Maou.

Another reason that I can't tell him… I can't let him break the engagement. I wouldn't lose my pride. I'm the strong, proud Wolfram von Bielefeld. To have a wimpy Maou humiliate me by breaking off the engagement.. that absolutely will not happen. If anyone is going to break the engagement, I am the one who will break it first.

A small, bitter smile made its way upon his face as the deepest corner of his mind spoke.

But Wolfram, you know what those people talked about behind your back. 'The poor youngest Prince who is not wanted at all by the Maou, although he is Heika's fiancé.' It's hurting your pride. Would it make any difference now?

No.. he admitted bitterly. But I will not let anybody hurt my pride further.

_**Thank you. Perhaps these offences might have been overlooked had not your pride been hurt by my scruples about our relationship.**_

The particular line he had heard earlier reverberated in his mind. A very soft sigh once again came from the prince.

Will you ever say that to me, Yuuri? Will the day when you finally love me ever come? Will you ever apologize like Darcy did?

You've hurt me, Yuuri. So much than you've ever thought. By the way, have you ever thought that you might have caused me any pain? No.. perhaps not. You're just.. being you.

Then again… hadn't I hurt anyone with my pride? Like Elizabeth Bennet did..

Am I hurting Yuuri by keeping this engagement?

If I had broken off the engagement a long time ago.. Yuuri would probably have a girl as his fiancée by now. Beautiful and graceful girls in Shinmakoku aren't rare. Yuuri would easily find one without me, shouting and getting angry at him every time he talks to a girl..

Yet, I wouldn't be happy.

_Your arrogance and conceit, your selfish disdain for the feelings of others made me realise you were the last man in the world I could ever marry._

The emerald eyes closed slowly. The deepest corner of the prince's heart started to interrogate himself.

Aren't you, Wolfram? Arrogant. Conceited. Selfish. Aren't you? You must've hurt so many people.. not to mention Yuuri, too..

Yes, I am.. the blonde admitted half-heartedly.

Then, that's probably why Yuuri will never even smile at you the way he smiles to your brother. You always show everyone your negative side.. never your positive one. If you showed the positive one.. you'd mask it with another negative side..

And why is that? The deepest corner in his heart who knew everything asked.

The emerald eyes fluttered open.

I don't know..

A small smile tugged at the corner of his lips. Rolling his incredible emerald orbs, Wolfram cursed himself for being so sentimental.

But.. the thing called movie that Miko had shown him had taken an important portion of his mind. To think that such sentimental thing would resemble his and Yuuri's characters so much..

Wolfram let out an amused chuckle at himself.

As the sleepiness slowly overcame him, Wolfram turned to face his so-called family: Yuuri and Greta. A genuine smile crossed his face, and slowly, his eyes closed, hiding the incredible emerald behind his eyelids.

Everything would be okay.. he told himself before drifting off to the Land of Dreams. Everything would be okay…

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

A/N: Some.. euh.. technical stuff I have to explain here..

Originally, I planned to make Wolf-chan read the novel, not watch the movie. After all, the novel is just incredible. Well, so is the movie.. but really, the novel is much better. Nya, the suspense! Ehem. Saa, like Miko stated, Wolfram couldn't read the novel because the writings wouldn't be in Mazoku language, ne? But Wolfram could understand if he watched the movie, because Anissina's invention (I forgot the invention's name) would already be set in his ears if he was to come to Earth. Otherwise, he wouldn't understand a word everybody's saying. Hehe..

This is actually a question for all of you who read this: Who do you think resembles Wolf-chan more: Darcy or Elizabeth? I personally think both Darcy and Elizabeth were proud, and yet prejudiced to the other. Therefore, in later chapters, I'll make some reference of Darcy and Elizabeth to either Wolfram or Yuuri. If you noticed, in this chapter, I referred to both Darcy and Elizabeth when I wrote about Wolfram's pride.

To those who are slightly impatient in waiting for Wolfram to fall asleep, I will just warn you now: This fic is going to be longer than you probably thought. I plan to make around 15 or 16 chapters, because I want to play with the brotherly relationship between the siblings, too. Tell you what, blame THia-LiEn for this, nya. It's still a long way… and I didn't say that he's actually going to fall asleep anyway! Hoi! What if Conrad or Gwendal or Gunter or anybody found a way to break the curse? Nya! Just wait, alright?

Saa.. thank you for reading thoroughly up to this point! I only have a wish to you.. please review! I'm trying my best to write this fic. Sorry for the definite OOC-ness and any mistake. All mistakes belong to me, I admit that. REVIEW, NYA! Counstructive Criticisms are very welcome, and flames are going to be collected, nya! After all, we need fire to cook.. ne? Hehe..

Next Chapter: Interlude—Days of Peace: A closer look upon the Royal Family.

Hugs! Hoi!

(isumi'kivic' and Ilde)


	3. Interlude: Days of Peace

Title: Pride and Prejudice, A Maruma fic

Author: isumi'kivic'

Beta: Invikta and Mabs-fantasy

Pairings: YuuriWolfram, possibly other pairings in later chapters, slight, very slight hints of ShinouMurata and GwendallGunter—the hardest pairing to write EVER, nya!!—in this chapter.

Warnings: This fic contains shounen-ai or yaoi or slash or BL. You've been warned, nya! Read at your own risk. Of course, as usual, nya, the definite OOC-ness and.. if you count a simple and relaxing interlude chapter as an uninteresting one.. then that's a warning of this chapter, nya..

Disclaimer: Truthfully, Kyou Kara Maou belongs to Takabayashi Tomo-sensei. And honestly, I'm praying that somehow, magically, I'd inherit it from him. Hoi, hoi, who knows? After all, everybody comes from Adam, nya. Or maybe he'd be so kind and let me wrap Yuuri and Wolfram with a plastic bag and take them home. Nyaha.. Pride and Prejudice belongs to Jane Austen. I own nothing except the plot and the idea, nor I'm making money from this fic. I'm not guilty, nya!!

A/N: Guess what? I'm finally seventeen years old! Yay! Anyway, nya… this chapter might be a little boring because the lack of suspense (?). It's an interlude, after all. Hoi hoi, nya! Thank you so very much for everyone who had read and reviewed the second chapter, nya! I nearly fainted, hoi! Please read through this chapter and review again, nya! It brightens my day!

This chapter is dedicated to someone very, very important in my life: my Nobody. You probably would never read this, but I just wanna say that I'm not angry with you for doing that. I think I was just shocked, nya.. I'm maybe disappointed, yes, it's a big blow to me, and honestly, I'm worried sick. I have to admit that I freaked out about this, but I'll always be your Heartless and your best best friend no matter what. So please, nya, don't ever do that again.

For Vivi-sama and Mabs-fantasy-san, HUGE thanks, hugs and love for helping me, nya! I truly am grateful to know you and have you as my beta! –sniffs-

Still, for ThiaLieN, of course. I'm waiting for your BK, okay? Sorry for forcing you staying up late to listen (or read?) my rantings and ramblings.. I do love you a lot, nya!

Still the same following formatted texts:

_**Pride and Prejudice**_: Line said by Fitzwilliam Darcy

_Pride and Prejudice_: Line said by Elizabeth Bennet

Enough of my rantings, then. Hoi hoi! Enjoy the third chapter, nya!

**Pride and Prejudice**

**Chapter Three: Interlude: Days of Peace**

The delicious smell of baking cookies filled the kitchen, making a certain brown haired little girl, who was also known as the Princess of Blood Pledge Castle, sigh longingly.

"Ne, Lasagna, how long does it take to bake?" she asked impatiently. Sitting next to Greta, hands busy with a soldier's wrecked uniform, the maid smiled and replied, "Probably an hour and a half, Hime-sama,"

"Huumm…"

"What if Hime-sama played outside while waiting for the cookies? I will call you when they're done." Sangria said from another corner of the kitchen, turning her attention slightly from the vegetables she was chopping. "Or maybe, Hime-sama can look for Heika and Wolfram-sama. You haven't told them about the picnic you planned for today, have you?"

Greta's face brightened. "Ah! Sangria is right! Greta will look for Yuuri and Wolfram, then!" she jumped off the chair. "Call Greta when the cookies are done, ne, Sangria?"

"Of course, Hime-sama."

With a cheerful laugh the little princess rushed out of the kitchen. She strode and skipped along the hallway, cheerfully waving to some soldiers she passed, until she caught a glimpse of the oldest son of the 26th Maou.

"Gwendal!" she cooed cheerfully, running directly towards the stoic man. Gwendal turned to her, not losing his façade. "Greta." He nodded.

"What are you doing, Gwendal?" she stopped next to him, hands instantly reached up to hold her uncle's hand. She looked up when Gwendal turned his attention back to the thing he was staring at before: the flower garden.

"Gwendal? Why are you looking at the garden?" she asked innocently, pulling him slowly to the garden. Gwendal obediently followed her, until both of them stood in front of the gardens. The princess knelt down to pick a familiar yellow flower.

"This is Beautiful Wolfram," she said absently, hands reaching for another flower. "Conrad Stands Upon Earth," she continued as she reached the blue flower. "Celi's Red Sigh," she chuckled, and looked up. "Does Gwendal love flowers?"

Silence was Gwendal's answer.

Being used to her uncle's silence, Greta ignored it and continued, "Greta loves flowers. They're beautiful!" she turned to face the stoic man and said, "Maybe Greta should bring some flowers for Yuuri and Wolfram when we go have a picnic later, ne, Gwendal?"

Gwendal's face softened. "Picnic?"

"Yes! Greta wants to have a picnic on the hills behind the castle!" Greta moved closer to Gwendal and handed him the three flowers she had picked. "This is for Gwendal!"

Gwendal took the flowers from Greta's tiny hands. "Thank you." He said, voice losing the usual harshness. Greta giggled, and he smiled.

"Then, why don't you go to Heika's study and ask him?" Gwendal ushered her. "If Günter says he can't go, you may tell him that I allowed Heika to take a rest. Wolfram is with his troops, I'm sure he won't mind to have a picnic. Don't forget to ask Conrad to come along."

Greta's eyes shone with excitement. "Really?!" she squealed happily. "Thank you, Gwendal!"

And off she went again, running excitedly along the hallway, leaving Gwendal standing in the flower garden, a soft, tiny smile lingering on his face, before he proceeded to the kitchen.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Günter strode along the hallway, an annoyed expression playing on his face, all the while grumbling dramatically with incoherent words. He stopped in his track when he saw Gisela emerging from the library, carrying heavy, thick books in her hands.

"Gisela!" he called out, successfully drawing the healer's attention. The green haired girl turned, her face brightening instantly. "Father!"

"Gisela, oh, Gisela, you wouldn't believe what just happened!" Günter was by her side in the next second, rambling frantically with teary eyes. Gisela sighed, her father was, again, in his hysterical mode. She balanced the six heavy books in her hands with a small "Umph!" and surprisingly, that stopped Günter's rants. The Royal Advisor looked at her curiously.

"What are you going to do with all those books, Gisela?"

Gisela watched her father's expression, and lowered her voice so only her father could hear her. "Von Voltaire-kyo and Weller-kyo told me about the curse. They asked me to do a research in healing magic, who knows, it might be able to give Von Bielfeld-kyo more time."

Günter's expression was blank for a second, but then he nodded. "Ah, I see. So they told you?"

"Yes, Father. Although I have to admit, I doubt I'll find anything useful. After all, you have researched this curse yourself and found nothing, and if you couldn't find anything, I doubt I will," she sighed heavily. "But it wouldn't hurt to try."

Günter nodded. "Good luck, then."

Gisela smiled. "Now, what was it you wanted to tell me about? I have to start researching soon, so I don't have much time, Father,"

"Oh!" Günter let out a dramatic gasp, remembering what he was rambling about. "That!" he looked unsurely at his daughter, and then shook his head. "Never mind that, Gisela. Please proceed with your research. Have you seen Gwendal somewhere?"

"Von Voltaire-kyo? I think I saw him going into the kitchen.."

"Kitchen?!"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Carefully, Gwendal placed the last piece of the bear-shaped cookie into the box, along with other animal-shaped cookies he had put in earlier. Beside him, Doria was wrapping some obento box Gwendal had made before.

"These, too, are for Hime-sama?" Sangria asked as she placed a plate of fresh baked Maou cookies on the table. Gwendal grunted a small "Hn.", reaching for another box to put the Maou cookies into. Sangria watched him working and idly thought that the sight of Gwendal wearing an apron and cooking in the kitchen didn't really suit him, but he looked cute nonetheless. The maid giggled slightly at the thought.

And that was when the kitchen door slammed open.

"GWENDAL!" a bawling Günter stomped in, but instantly froze at the sight of Gwendal busy with boxes of cookies and wearing an apron. Forgetting his dramatic lines that had been prepared before he stomped into the kitchen, Günter gaped, and stuttered.

"What-... Gwendal, you… cookies- Maou, why... but… Heika-.."

Gwendal sighed impatiently and turned to give the advisor a stern look. "What is it, Günter? As you can see, I'm pretty busy at the moment."

All Günter could do was gape.

Gwendal shrugged, and turned his attention back to the cookies, ignoring the loud giggles from the maids.

After nearly ten minutes, Günter managed to let out, "What are those?"

"Food." Gwendal calmly replied, and the maids giggled louder at the silly question, but Günter was too confused to notice.

"Who-…"

"The Princess wanted to have a picnic with her parents." Gwendal replied again with his stoic voice, not once turning his attention from his job.

"But Heika was studying with me!" remembering his reason for coming to the kitchen and wailing to Gwendal, Günter bawled, entering his melodramatic mode once again. "And then Hime-sama came and told me that you allowed Heika to slack off! How could you? I thought you understood how important it is for Heika to learn-…"

Rubbing his forehead slightly, Gwendal said, "Doria, pack these and give them to Conrad when he comes here. No need to tell him that I made them."

"Yes, Gwendal-sama," Doria answered, hardly restraining her giggle.

Günter blinked, stopping his ramblings, confused. "Gwendal? You made those for…"

"If you wish, Günter, you can continue your complaints in my office. I need your help to finish the paperwork that Heika hasn't finished today." Gwendal stripped off the apron and gave it to Lasagna. "Let's go."

Baffled, Günter had no choice except to follow the gray haired mazoku prince.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Catch, Greta!"

"Greta got it! Greta..ooph!" the little princess tumbled down and fell, but raised her head in the next second and laughed merrily. The round, small ball with a red line that she had failed to catch, rolled down the hill. She quickly got to her feet and chased after it.

"Greta, be careful!" Wolfram yelled from his place under the tree, sitting with Conrad and watching Yuuri while he played with Greta. A small smile tugged at his lips as he settled back, watching Yuuri run after Greta.

Conrad smiled. "It's almost noon. Maybe you should call them so we can have lunch. The maids have prepared these," he gestured at the wrapped boxes next to them.

Wolfram nodded slightly. He stood and went over his fiancé and daughter who was playing with the baseball ball again. Conrad reached the boxes and unwrapped them, opening them one by one. He smiled at the cutely arranged obentos, not to mention the animal-shaped gingerbread cookies and the cute Maou cookies. Gwendal should know that Greta would have a hard time eating these… he chuckled silently.

"Aaah… I'm so hungry!" Yuuri flopped down on the sheet they had spread under the tree, followed by Greta and Wolfram. "What's for lunch?"

"The maids have prepared these for us, Heika," Conrad gestured at the boxes again. Greta curiously peeked at the cookies and let out a squeal.

"How cute!"

At the sight of the food, Wolfram raised his eyebrows. A thought immediately entered his head. Could it be.. Aniue… Wolfram glanced at Conrad, who smiled knowingly, confirming his guess.

"Ohh.." Greta sighed. "They're so cute, Yuuri… Greta can't eat them.."

"But Greta," Wolfram said. "Aniue would be disappointed if you didn't eat them."

"Gwendal made these?" Yuuri looked surprised. Conrad chuckled, while Wolfram gave him an incredulous look. "Of course, you wimp. Who else would make animal-shaped cookies that no one can even guess what kind of animal they were supposed to be shaped like?"

Yuuri grinned. "Nah, I just wondered how in Shin Makoku he had time to make these? He always looked busy, you know."

Conrad smiled at the Maou's remark.

Their lunch proceeded with Greta's cheerful voice, commenting at almost every single thing she saw—little flowers and ferns, butterflies and dragonflies, sheep-shaped clouds—and Yuuri had to restrain his laugh when she nearly cried after eating one of Gwendal's animal-shaped cookies, because "Yuuri, it's so cute, and Greta doesn't want to eat it but it tastes really good.."

After lunch, Greta decided to drag Yuuri downhill and play chase with him.

Wolfram and Conrad sat still under the huge tree, letting the cool breeze play naughtily with their hair. Conrad looked up at the sky and stated, "It's nearly autumn again."

"Hmm." Wolfram replied absently.

"Are you sure you're okay, Wolfram?"

"Weller-kyo." Wolfram's voice was firm. "I told you there is no need to worry over the curse. Even though I am Yuuri's fiancé, as long as I don't really fall for him, the curse has no effect on me, it is meaningless. And for Shinou-knows-how-many-times, I will not fall for that wimp."

Conrad turned to examine his younger brother's expression. Wolfram's eyes were closed, and his expression cold and hard. But Conrad knew better. He knew perfectly well that if Wolfram opened those emerald orbs, he would be able to see the pain reflected clearly in the youngest prince's eyes.

"Wolfram.." Conrad began. "You don't have to lie to us, you know. If you have fallen for Heika.."

"I have not and I will not." Wolfram cut his brother's statement off. "Stop pitying me, Weller-kyo. I don't need your pity."

"I'm not-.." Conrad heaved a sigh. After a long silence, he began once again, "Hahaue is worried."

"Tell her, she doesn't need to be."

"Wolfram." Conrad's voice grew serious. "Hahaue doesn't want to make the same mistake all over again. She did once.. and you died… almost," Conrad added hastily upon seeing Wolfram's expression harden. "Even if you fall for Heika, she would understand. We all would."

"I am merely playing my role as his guardian. Being his fiancé makes it easier for me to follow him and keep him safe anywhere."

"I do not believe you in this matter." Conrad stated. "I can see it clearly, Wolfram. Everybody does."

"I don't care if you believe me or not. I'm just telling you the truth."

Wolfram kept his eyes closed. He couldn't afford to look at his half-brother right now. Conrad would be able to see everything through. Taking a firmer tone in his voice, he said, "I am not in love with that wimp."

Conrad stared at him. For the first time in his life, he felt he was loss for words. He didn't know how to reply to Wolfram's stubbornness. It seemed that whatever would happen, Wolfram would keep saying that he was not in love with Yuuri.

Which Conrad knew too well that it was a lie.

"Wolfram.." he hesitated for a second, but then sighed. "It's all up to you. You're the one who can decide for yourself. We.. I mean.. Hahaue.. and Gwendal.. and I.. we just.. want you to be happy."

Wolfram felt his breath hitched.

"What do you know about me.." he growled quietly. "How dare you… you… none of you ever understand... ever try to understand.. and now.."

Conrad stared at him, bewildered. "Wolfram…"

Wolfram's eyes flew open, and Conrad could see the fiery anger in those emerald orbs. "Shut up." Wolfram snapped, his body trembling. "I don't want to hear anything from you."

He quickly stood and made his way back to the castle, leaving Yuuri and Greta who were still laughing down the hill, and Conrad who sat still, gaping at his unexpected reaction.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Cecilie von Spitzberg slowly strolled along the flower garden, enjoying the warmth of the morning sun. She looked up at the sky and smiled softly. Today would be a sunny and nice day... she thought.

The voices and noises that came from the other side of the castle's backyard picked at Cecilie's interest. She lightly strolled over the garden to the source of the noises, finding the usual morning sight of her second oldest son and the Maou with their swords colliding with each other occasionally. Conrad gave Yuuri some sort of instruction before they started their sword practice again, Morgif cooing in Yuuri's hand.

Cecilie walked nearer and settled herself to watch from under a tree. Morgif gave an acknowledging sound, which made both Yuuri and Conrad halt and turn to see who was coming.

"Ah, Celi-sama!" Yuuri greeted. Conrad nodded respectively at his mother. Cecilie smiled at them.

"I'm sorry to interrupt, Heika," she winked. Yuuri gave a hearty laugh. "Ahh, no, Celi-sama. We're just about to finish. Ne, Conrad?"

"Aah," Conrad replied. "Then its best if we just stop here for today, Heika. You did well."

"It's Yuuri, Conrad!" the Maou protested. "You're the one who gave me the name, yet you keep calling me Heika! Then why in the first place did you gave me a name?!"

At Yuuri's sarcastic remark, Conrad laughed, amused. "Yuuri then. I'll be with Gwendal if you need me. If you'll excuse me," he bowed slightly, and proceeded to head back inside. Yuuri sighed and shook his head. He was just about to follow Conrad when Cecilie's voice startled him.

"Do you mind to spare some minutes to have a little chat with me, Heika?"

Turning his attention to the former Maou, Yuuri raised his eyebrows and moved nearer as Cecilie gesture him to join her under the tree. "Is there something you wish to tell me, Celi-sama?"

Cecillie giggled, reminding Yuuri of Greta. "Well, I do not wish to be so nosy about this, Heika… but, just out of curiosity, how's everything going with Wolfram? Am I going to hear wedding bells soon? Or, have you two secretly planned to present me with another grandchild?" she let out a cheerful squeal.

At her words, Yuuri blushed slightly. "Uhm… eh. Haha… I.. uh, well... how can I say this.." he grinned sheepishly. "I suppose… I'm still too busy with paperwork and everything to really think about the engagement, Celi-sama."

"Ah.." was it just Yuuri, or did Cecilie frowned just slightly in disappointment ? "I see," the former queen chuckled. "It's pretty hard to do all that paperwork, ne, Heika? Especially with my oldest son supervising you in such a strict manner.."

Yuuri grinned. "Actually, I think that being stuck with Gwendal might be better than being stuck with Günter.."

"Ara.. that reminds me. Has Günter taught you about the mazoku cultures of marriage, Heika? I really can't wait for the wedding! It will be so wonderful, it has to be the greatest one in Shin Makoku history!" Cecilie giggled again.

Yuuri sweat-dropped. "Euh.. Celi-sama... do you really expect us to... you know... get married?"

Cecilie stopped giggling, and turned to the Maou with confused eyes. "Of course, Heika," she said innocently. "After all an engagement exists because one wants to get married, am I correct?"

"Eh…" Yuuri was at loss of words.

"I have to thank you, Heika," Cecilie began, her voice suddenly losing it usual touch of flirtatiousness and instead replaced by a more gentle tone. "You have saved this Kingdom... and helped my sons countless of time... not to mention saving my youngest baby and bringing him back to life.." her eyes softened, and for once, Yuuri caught a happy and motherly look in her eyes. "Thank you, Yuuri-Heika."

"Aah... hahaha... no... eh..." Yuuri was really lost. He hadn't learned how to deal with a calm Cecilie, not the usual flirty one he's use to encounter. "I… I think I am the one who should thank your sons, Celi-sama. They saved my life countless of times, too."

"You changed everyone, Yuuri-Heika," Cecillie ignored the Maou's reply and continued, "Humans and mazoku... you changed them all. People in this castle… and outside... you've brought peace and a new life to us. You've even changed my sons.." she smiled. "I can see it perfectly... how they have come to appreciate their life and live it, not just accepting it as a duty as they used to. It's amazing, Heika. It's something that only you could do."

Yuuri blushed furiously. "Haha..." he chuckled. "Really..."

Cecilie giggled. "Ah, Heika, you're so cute when you're blushing!" she exclaimed, making Yuuri blush deeper. After a few seconds, her giggling subsided.

"However..." she added. "Perhaps, the one that you have changed the most... is my baby Wolfie. Yes..." her eyes softened once again, and Yuuri wondered if he had seen a troubled look on the former queen's face. "Ah, how I envy Wolfram for finding his love easier than I..." she sighed.

Yuuri flushed. "E-eeh??" he stuttered. "L-Love.. Celi-sama.. what do you-.."

"Araa?" Cecilie smiled. "I thought it's very obvious that he loves you, Heika."

"Wh-what?! N-no.. it's not like that!" Yuuri spluttered, a bewildered expression on his face. "I… he... we... don't… we're both boys!" he finally blurted out.

Cecilie's eyes were unreadable. "Is that a problem, Heika?"

"Celi-sama, we're-.." Yuuri gulped. "I mean.. were both boys and boys doesn't marry each other because it's wrong—well, at least in earth it is—and the engagement is an accident! Accident, yes!"

"Nothing would change the fact that he has changed a lot since you came, Heika." She smiled. "I can see that he's much happier now. Before you came… he was lonely… so lonely. I know I am the one to blame for this... for I neglected my role as a mother.." she trailed off, and Yuuri could see pain lingering in those usually cheerful emerald orbs that reminded him very much of Wolfram's.

"But since you came... he changed," Cecilie smiled. "I truly hope that I will still have a chance to play my role as his mother.. I haven't really done what I am supposed to do. The same goes for Gwendal and Conrad.." she shook her head, expressing her regret. "But I surely still have time for those two. I don't know whether I'll have time for Wolfram.. it's running out.."

"Eh?" Yuuri blinked. "Celi-sama? What do you mean?"

Cecilie blinked, and then smiled at Yuuri widely. "Aah, Heika, it's nothing. Oh, may I know when will your brother come back here? I really wanted to ask him to go on a date with me!" she giggled. "I thought that, regardless on whether he has somebody on Earth or not, he could still come here for a little harmless cheating, couldn't he? It wouldn't hurt." She laughed. "After all, I can't have Heika cheating with me. Wolfie would be furious,"

Yuuri blushed. "I- I have to go look for Gwendal and finish that paperwork now," he grinned sheepishly. "If you'll excuse me, Celi-sama.."

"Oh, of course! Don't mind me, Heika." Cecilie gave him a wide smile. "It was a pleasure chatting with you. Thank you, Heika,"

"Nah, I thank you, Celi-sama," Yuuri grinned. "It's a good time to chat. Besides, I was really enjoying the nice and sunny morning before being trapped in my study."

Cecilie giggled. "Of course."

She watched Yuuri as he made his way back inside. But just before he proceeded to walk down the hallway to his study, Yuuri stopped and turned to her.

"You know... Celi-sama..." he began. "Ofukuro... my mother would love to have a long chat with you some time. I'll bring her with me here when I have time… you two have never really meet, haven't you?"

Cecilie was speechless for a moment, but then she smiled.

"Of course! I will be very delighted!"

"Great!" Yuuri grinned. "See you later, Celi-sama."

With that, Yuuri ran along the hallway, quickly disappeared from Cecilie's eyes.

The former queen sighed. Her wide smiled slowly faded, as she walked back to the flower garden. Looking at the blooming, yellow flowers she had loved so much, she bit her lips, letting one or two drops of crystal tears ran down along her cheek.

"Wolfram..." she sobbed quietly. "Hahaue is very sorry..."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Günter cautiously glanced at Gwendal for the umpteenth time. Not that Gwendal's position in the chair—or his stoic expression—was showing any change.. in fact, Gwendal had only moved slightly in his chair to adjust his position since this morning. The oldest son of Cecillie was still bending over the numerous paperwork on his desk.

Unable to restrain his curiosity any longer, Günter finally started a conversation.

"Gwendal.." he began warily. "About yesterday's... ah... lunch you made for Heika and Hime-sama's picnic..."

Gwendal slightly shifted his attention to the royal advisor. "What of it?"

"The reason.. I mean.."

Gwendal sighed, rubbing his forehead upon sensing another headache coming. "Look, Günter," he said tiredly. "I'm sorry I interrupted your class session with Heika. It will not happen again. I was just a little bit.." Gwendal paused. He did not want to say melancholic, but.. "Never mind. Forget I said something."

Günter nodded, understanding shining in his eyes. "It was for Wolfram, wasn't it?"

"Part of it, maybe. Mainly, it was for Greta." Gwendal hesitated, before adding, "Losing one of her fathers will not be easy for her. Just in case... we failed.." he trailed off, and shook his head. "I just want them to make as many good memories as they can... just in case.."

"I understand." Günter nodded, staring at the stoic man before him with sad eyes. "I guess it will do Wolfram good, too. And Heika." He added.

"That does not mean we can give up." Gwendal stated firmly. "Have you found any information regarding this mazoku who cast the curse?"

"I have to say that my research is going well." Günter replied. "I'm currently going over all the written data of all mazoku since Weller-kyo was born. Quite shocking enough, I have to say, that it was pretty rare to find any silver haired mazoku that time. I have been looking through the annals a hundred years prior to Wolfram's birth, and I have narrowed the suspects to around fifty. Not all of them were magicians though." He quickly added. "I'm sure we'll be able to narrow it down more once I start to investigate the suspects' backgrounds and lineages."

Gwendal nodded. He let out a sigh and looked up at the advisor. "Thank you, Günter. I'm counting on you." And I don't know what I'd do without you, he mentally added.

Günter smiled. "Then, I'll try not to fail you," he answered. Remembering something all of a sudden, he continued, "Did you tell Gisela?"

Gwendal nodded. "Just in case healing magic could be of any help. We desperately need any help we could get."

Günter nodded. "True." He said, before looking back down to the book he was reading.

Gwendal's lips turned upward slightly. I wonder how in Shin Makoku this competent man could go all drama queen and childish in front of everybody when he can be very serious regarding important matters… He shook his head and bent down once again to deal with the paperwork.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Uwaaaahh.." Yuuri stretched his arms as he walked out of his study, Günter behind him. "That's all for today, right, Günter?"

Günter nodded. "Although I sincerely wish that our study time will never end..." he sighed dramatically. "Oh, Heika, how I love spending time with you..."

Yuuri sweat-dropped. Günter might like it, but I don't… he thought warily. After all, sitting and listening to the advisor talking about Shin Makoku and other countries' political and social relationship three hundred years ago was definitely not Yuuri's choice on how to spend a nice and sunny day like this. He was slightly thankful that, even though Shin Makoku experiences winter, the mazoku country doesn't have any snow.

"Ah! Heika!" Yuuri turned to the source of the voice, only to find Sangria, Doria and Lasagna walking in the yard, smiling to the Maou. Yuuri grinned. "Yah! Sangria, Doria, Lasagna!" he waved. The three maids giggled, and Yuuri thought curiously whether all girls and women giggled like Cecilie did.

"Have any of you seen my daughter somewhere?" Yuuri asked, knowing that Greta loved to spend her time with the three maids. The maids nodded. "She's with Wolfram-sama in the library, Heika."

"Thank you!" Yuuri smiled and strolled down the hallway, leaving the three giggling maids.

He was just about to open the library door when Greta's voice came to his hearing.

"…so the Mighty Anissina came and kicked all the villains that had come to the village. She restrained them all and brought them in front of the Maou, and waited for his judgement. The Maou was very, very kind, so he forgave the villains. Once again, Anissina saved the day! The End!"

Grinning, Yuuri pushed the door open and saw his daughter sitting on his fiancé's lap. Greta and Wolfram immediately turned to him, and both exclaimed, "Yuuri!"

Greta ran to give the Maou a hug. "Yuuri, Yuuri! Have you finished your studies with Günter?"

"Aah... I did," Yuuri smiled widely and took Greta into his arms. "What were you doing?"

"Reading a book to Wolfram!" Greta squealed. "Wolfram is helping Greta to learn reading!"

"Really? But I thought you could already read well?" Yuuri turned to Wolfram, who nodded his head in affirmative gesture. "She can. Only a few mistakes in some places, but she did well."

Yuuri smiled. "That's my daughter! Want to play with me now, Greta?"

"Um! But.." Greta looked back to Wolfram. "Umm.. Wolfram promised Greta to show how he plays the piano.."

Yuuri blinked in surprise. "Eeh?! Wolfram, you play the piano?"

"I'm not really good at it, but yes, I do." Wolfram answered as he put back the book Greta was reading back to the bookshelf. "I haven't played it for a long time, but Greta said she wants to hear it. I'm not as good as Hahaue, though." He paused, and then added, "And certainly not as good as Julia-san."

"Julia-san played the piano?"

"She was an amazing piano player. She was the one who taught me." Wolfram replied, rubbing his eyes tiredly. He yawned slightly, and then looked at Greta. "Shall we, Greta?"

Greta bounced up and down. "Yes! Yes!"

So, the three of them went out of the library and walked down to the ballroom.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Yuuri was stunned.

The beautiful melodious tones of the piano flowed smoothly, filling the room with a calm and serene atmosphere. Greta stood next to him; her hand gripping Yuuri's tightly, and looking as if she was ready to cry anytime. But Yuuri hardly felt the squeeze that his daughter gave him, for his gaze was locked upon the sight of the piano...

Or more exactly, its player.

Wolfram's pale, slender fingers were moving skilfully, pressing the keys of the piano with effortless movement, his body swaying slightly back and forth, obviously enjoying the peace from playing the instrument. His head moved to the right and left, following the movement of his fingers. His feet tapped slightly, counting the beat. His face was peaceful, a small smile etched on his face, his beautiful emerald eyes closed momentarily sometimes, but flew open as he started a crescendo all the way to the end of the song he was playing… and Yuuri felt like his feet didn't even touch the ground anymore.

A high, soft tone ended the song. Wolfram took a deep breath, and slowly turned to face his fiancé and daughter. "How was it? I messed up a little, so..."

"It was very beautiful, Wolfram!" Greta cried, running to her father and gave him a hug. "Wolfram has to teach Greta how to play it!"

"Of course, Greta," Wolfram smiled, and then turned his attention to the stunned Yuuri. "What do you think, Yuu-.." he trailed off when he realized that Yuuri still hadn't moved an inch—and he didn't even blink since Wolfram finished the song. Raising his eyebrows, Wolfram called, "Yuuri? Are you okay?"

"Ah.." Yuuri started, blinked, and laughed sheepishly. "Hahaha.. I guess.." he paused, smiled, and then looked at Wolfram seriously. "That was really beautiful, Wolfram. I mean it. I wish I could record it and show it to Ofukuro!" he grinned as he moved nearer and clasped Wolfram's shoulder.

Wolfram's cheeks gained a soft pink shade. "Wimp!" he murmured. "You don't even understand anything about art, how could you say it's really beautiful?"

"Don't call me that!" Yuuri protested. "I might not really understand about art or music, but at least I know it was beautiful!"

"Humph!" Wolfram snorted, moving his hand to close the piano. "I think that's enough for today. I still have some errands to run." He stood. "I'll leave Greta with you, Yuuri. Don't be such a wimp and keep her safe!"

Yuuri put on an annoyed face. "How was it that you looked very different when you played the piano? You looked very peaceful just a minute ago, your expression was really soft and calm and you looked so beautiful, but now you're already yelling at me!"

Silence filled the room, following Yuuri's exclamation. Wolfram blushed, and Yuuri—upon noticing what he just said—blushed furiously. "I-I mean..." he stuttered, hastily removing his hand from Wolfram's shoulder. "You... You looked very calm... and different, th-that... uh... I mean.. you're a boy and boys are not beautiful..I mean.. aah!! Just forget I said anything! Come on, Greta, let's go find Conrad and play baseball!"

Greta giggled, obviously amused by her fathers' behavior. She gave Wolfram—who was still standing awkwardly and blushing like mad—a tight hug, saying, "See you later, Wolfram!" and skipped alongside Yuuri. The two of them exited the room together.

Feeling suddenly exhausted, Wolfram sat down slowly back on the chair, and lowered his head. He closed his eyes, and opened them again, staring at the piano.

Piano. He smiled. Ah... it reminded him of that thing called a movie again.. That Elizabeth girl playing the piano in front of Darcy, if he remembered correctly.

_**"I do not have the talent of conversing easily with people I have never met before."**_

_"Perhaps you should take your aunt's advice and practise."_

Wolfram let out an amused chuckle. Elizabeth sure did have a sharp tongue, he thought idly, fingers running down the polished wood of the piano's surface. She subconsciously hurt Darcy countless of times because of her pride... and her tongue. Wolfram smiled softly.

Maybe I am just like her in this matter...

Ah, but then again, it was because of your prejudice to humans you got into this agonizing farce of an engagement, said the voice on the back of his head. Just like Darcy had hurt Elizabeth with his prejudice.

Ah... so I've hurt Yuuri countless of times too... Wolfram sighed. And he has hurt me in return countless of times, too. With his prejudice... and pride.

His lips twitched upwards slightly. Yuuri is a very proud Maou... he mused. Both of us are just... very proud. I guess, that's probably the root of the problem. Two people with different personalities, but with the same stubbornness and pride… we're not such a great couple, huh?

Are you giving up? The voice asked.

Wolfram sighed. No… perhaps, I just don't want to give up on him up, yet. At least.. not until the very end.. There is only two months left to endure this pain and agony. Then, I will be able to sleep peacefully… and never wake up again.

So, you will give up on this matter... the voice stated. Wolfram had to admit that he probably would. He was tired. Tired of this fake engagement his Maou didn't want to accept.

And why the hell again was Yuuri refusing to accept their engagement? Oh, yes. His prejudice against the homosexual relationships. Right. Wolfram rolled his eyes.

Well... I can't blame him. After all, his upbringing influenced his thoughts, but still... he does knows perfectly well that this kind of relationship is legal here. For crying out loud, it's so common here! He's just... too stubborn... unwilling to cast away his prejudice..

Just like you, the voice reminded him.

Wolfram cursed the voice mentally for knowing everything.

He rose to his feet and moved to the window, gazing outside to the sunny day.

_**"You must have known. Surely, you **__**must**__** know it was all for you."**_

"I'd do anything for you.." Wolfram murmured. "I'd protect you even if my life was at stake, I'd let you go to Earth whenever you wanted to, I've even let you slack off from your responsibilities as Maou sometimes, I'd throw away my pride, I'll fall if you fall..." he closed his eyes. "I just have one selfish request… Please, Yuuri... don't cast me away.."

Just a little more while... please don't cast me away just because of your prejudice..

_"You see, he and I are... He and I are so similar. We're both so stubborn."_

Wolfram sighed. He straightened his body, and closed his eyes. When he opened it, the usual mask of selfishness and harshness was back on.

Yet, the knowing voice still whispered.

Wolfram, will you be able to do it first and put your pride and your own prejudice aside? Stop expecting Yuuri to be aware of your feelings. You have to show him first. He won't notice if you don't show him how you feel. He is a wimp after all, isn't he?

Wolfram blinked away the slight sleepiness that had almost overcome him. He inhaled deeply, and strolled towards the door and exited the room.

Will I able to do that? I don't know...

Perhaps you should start, the voice suggested kindly.

But for what purpose? Wolfram asked. It's going to be over soon... just another two months... and it wouldn't change anything.

You wouldn't know if you don't try.

Shaking his head, Wolfram turned to the yard. The knowing voice in his head was just as stubborn as he was..

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Well, then?"

Shinou opened his eyes, meeting the black eyes of his sage. "My Daikenja.." he looked a little confused. "Do you mind answering some of my questions?"

"It depends. If I can answer it, I will," Murata replied cheerfully. Shinou was, once again, sitting comfortably on his shoulder while the sage leaned on the railings of the balcony in Shinou's Shrine, looking at Ulrike and some other girls in the Shrine doing something in the fountain.

Shinou hummed a little. "Then... let's start my questions with this one. What is a movie?"

Murata started at the question. "Huh? Why the sudden..?"

"Apparently, Von Bielefeld-kyo cannot stop thinking about this particular thing." Shinou answered easily. "I assume this is another thing from Earth?"

"Well... you can say that.." Murata pursed his lips, thinking of a definition. "Well, if I remember correctly, the definition in the dictionary said, a movie is a series of real or fictional events recorded by a camera and projected onto a screen as a sequence of moving pictures."

Shinou looked a little bit puzzled, but then decided to let the matter be. "Alright, the second question, then. Do you know anything about this movie thing called Pride and Prejudice?"

Murata raised his eyebrows. "Ah.. you mean the one titled Pride and Prejudice." He stated, and nodded. "Of course. It's a very good one. Based on a book with the same title. The book is… kind of legendary, I guess..."

"I see..." Shinou murmured in understanding.

Murata inclined his head slightly to look at the tiny Shinou on his shoulder. "Why the sudden questions about this? Is Von Bielefeld-kyo thinking about it?"

"This thing called movie made him evaluate himself lately," Shinou smiled. "This might be good, my Daikenja. It'll help you in your mission," he chuckled as Murata rolled his eyes. "What do you plan to do about your mission?"

"Well," Murata replied, smiling, "It's going to be easier since you can still connect your mind and feel what Von Bielefeld-kyo is feeling. I think it's a side effect from the time when you possessed him. From this information you found out about Von Bielefeld-kyo, why, I assume I can start with persuading him to take the step first, instead of waiting for Shibuya," Murata shook his head in exasperation. "Shibuya really is stupid in this matter. He should be happy for having Von Bielefeld-kyo as his fiancé.."

"Before you go too far, my Daikenja.." Shinou's tone was startlingly melodious. "I will remind you that you're taken. Do be careful of your own feelings." His smirk was mischievous.

Murata couldn't help but to laugh at the sudden possessiveness.

"Very well, then, my King."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Tbc…

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

A/N: Yare yare… finally I finished this interlude chapter. Uhm! I didn't do it well, nya, but.. ah well.. (heeee..??)

A small important note! I made a mistake in the last chapter. Yuuri actually called his mother 'Ofukuro', not 'Kaasan' as I had written in the last chapter. I just realized it when I watched the last episode of season 2 for the umpteenth time.. I know.. I'm so stupid, ne? Nyahaha… So, yeah, from this chapter on so on, Yuuri will call his mother "Ofukuro".

I don't know whether Wolfram really played piano, so yes, I made that up. After all, it's just look like a thing he would enjoy doing. I am just kinda bored of myself—who kept thinking about a scene in the library where Wolf-chan's reading a book to Greta and Yuuri came in, and Greta went away and the two had a brief moment of chat. I used that scene a lot, so I was bored of myself, nya!

Then.. what do you think of this interlude chapter? I tried my best, nya.. but you might find it boring..-sobs- Truthfully, I love writing interlude because it gave me more chance to develop the characters. I particularly love Cecillie's part in this chapter, nya.. maybe because I do miss my mother badly right now.. –sniffs- Hoi hoi! Tell me what you think and review, nya! Thank you so very much for reading through this chapter! NYA! –bows- REVIEW PLEASE! Constructive Criticisms are most welcomed! Flames are welcomed, too, I need it for burning the trash, nya! Hoi hoi!

Next chapter: Black Dawn is coming.

Sincerely, nya!

(isumi'kivic' and Ilde)


	4. Black Dawn

Title: Pride and Prejudice, a Maruma fic

Title: Pride and Prejudice, a Maruma fic.

Author: isumi'kivic'

Beta: Invikta and Mabs-fantasy.

Pairings: Absolute YuuriWolfram, ShinouDaikenja (which also means ShinouMurata), and possibly other pairings in later chapters.

Warning: This fic contains shounen-ai, or yaoi, or BL, or slash, or whatever it is you want to call it. OOC-ness is a definite fact. You've been warned. Read at your own risk!

Disclaimer: Truthfully, Kyou Kara Maou and every single detail about it belongs to Takabayashi Tomo-sensei. I do not wish to be burnt to crisp by Wolfram for trying to own Yuuri, or to stand before Yuuri's water dragon of his anger for trying to own Wolfram. Haha. Well, I'm pretty happy to simply write fics, I think.. Pride and Prejudice is owned by the legendary Jane Austen.

A/N: Wuuaah!! Minna-sama, gomennasai for the late update, nee!! It was winter break when I wrote this, and yeah, I couldn't post it coz my hostfamily doesn't have an internet connection at home. Gomen, gomeeen!!

I can finally get off from my pool of TezukaFuji and replaced it with HarukaKantarou. And, I just think it's amusing at how those mangakas and anime studios gave us so many hints of shounen-ai, but didn't make the OBVIOUSLY canon couple (yes, I insist that THEY ARE CANON!!) —as YuuriWolfram.. or AthrunKira—as official couple! Do they just love to torture fans? Meanie..

Ignore my previous ramblings, please.. hehe.. Ah! I want to thank ALL who had read the last chapter thoroughly, and double the thanks for ALL who had reviewed the last chapter. Your reviews gave me back my spirit.

Once again, two mountains of thanks for Vivi-sama and Az-sama for betaing this. Without both of you, I wouldn't be able to go this far... –bows- I love you guys A LOT!!

Nisa-san.. can I say that I miss talking to you a lot? –hugs-

Dede Kyouyama, my friend for sharing the wonderfulness of shounen-ai forever, if you ever read this, you do know that I miss you so much, don't you? Well, I'm already thinking about how much I can tell you the next time we talk about Maruma, ne..?-grins- De, nonton Tactics, gih, hints shounen-ai nya gokil banget.. gyahaha.. hidup bishounen!

Saa, Minna-san! Please read this chapter thoroughly! And review, please?

Enjoy!

_**Pride and Prejudice  
Chapter Four: Black Dawn  
**_

Gwendal looked up from stacks of the paperwork he was examining when he heard a knock. "Come in,"

The door swung opened, revealing the familiar figure of the Royal Advisor, clad in his usual white robes. Günter nodded respectfully to Gwendal as he moved in and closed the door. In his hand was a white envelope, and Gwendal suddenly knew the intention of the Royal Advisor by coming to him.

"Who is it from?" he asked. Günter closed the distance between the door and Gwendal's desk, and put the white envelope on the desk. The seal of the envelope gleamed brightly under the sun rays that shone through the window. Gwendal recognized the seal almost immediately. Why, it _was_ one of their most important allies' country seal, after all.

"Caloria?"

Günter nodded. "This just came this morning," he said. "The messenger said that Lady Fuurin herself told him to bring this as soon as possible, and to tell us she's expecting a speedy reply,"

Gwendal's eyebrows furrowed. Caloria's queen has never rushed Shin Makoku to reply. Thinking that it must be an emergency, he hastily opened the envelope and drew out a formal letter. He scanned it for several minutes, before neatly folding and tucking it back into the envelope.

Lately, his intuition seemed to be always correct.

"Günter," his tone instantly changing to a more commanding one. "Schedule a meeting here in an hour. Summon Conrad and Wolfram, and I request for Heika's presence, along with Geika, if possible." After thinking for another second, he added, "I'd like to have you and Yozak, too. This is rather serious."

Günter nodded, knowing better than to ask what the letter was about, but instead whirled around and exited the room after receiving the order. The door gave a small slamming sound as it shut behind, a testament to his haste to follow out the given order.

Massaging his forehead slightly, Gwendal sighed.

"Why does it have to be when we're busy dealing with Wolfram's curse…"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Conrad held up his hand to catch the ball thrown by the Maou. Yuuri grinned. "Nice catch!"

The half-mazoku prince chuckled before throwing it back to Yuuri. Not far from them, Greta was sitting on the stairs with Wolfram, watching as the two played.

"Yuuri seems to be very happy today, ne, Wolfram?" Greta said. Receiving no answer from her other father, she frowned slightly. Turning slightly and looking up to the blonde, she called again, "Wolfram?"

The call snapped Wolfram back to reality. "Ah... yes, Greta?"

Greta frowned. "Why are you spacing out?" she looked at him in concern. "Are you feeling well, Wolfram?"

Drawing a long breath, Wolfram smiled—despite his sleepiness and constant exhaustion, he was fine. "I'm fine, Greta. I'm just a little tired."

"Wolfram seems to be tired a lot lately," she reached up and patted Wofram's cheek. "Are you sure you're okay?"

"Yes,"

Conrad almost missed the ball when he heard the conversation. He turned to look at his younger brother with worried eyes. Wolfram was smiling down at Greta, but Conrad didn't miss the exhaustion in those emerald eyes. His face frowned a little, but the frown vanished instantly when suddenly Yuuri gave a nervous yell, "Ah! Günter...!"

Conrad, Greta and Wolfram turned to where Yuuri was looking at. Sure enough, the advisor was walking towards them. Panicking, Yuuri edged closer to his godfather. "Ehehe... Günter… is it time for class already?"

Günter's face brightened at once. "Heika!" he exclaimed dramatically. "I didn't know you desire our lessons so much! Ah, you must have missed the times we usually spend together, must you not? Oh, I'm flattered! Even though it's not time for our lessons yet, I would gladly be your companion to spend the day with, Heika!" he cried.

Wolfram's eyes narrowed dangerously at the Royal advisor as Yuuri sweatdropped. "Anou…" he laughed nervously. "I was just... asking… eh... I'm... playing baseball right now, so..."

"Were you looking for us, Günter?" Conrad said, intending to remind Günter about why he had come to them in the first place. Günter reluctantly stopped his drama, and nodded.

"We're to gather for an urgent meeting in Gwendal's office in an hour," he informed. "Gwendal asked for your presence, Heika," his eyes twinkled. "And I will gladly escort you to his office all the way there, of course!"

"Not a chance!" Wolfram snarled. "Stay away from my fiancé!" he quickly stood and stepped to stand next to the Maou. Grabbing Yuuri's wrist possessively, he turned to Greta and said, "Greta, can you play with either Anissina or the maids while we're at the meeting?"

Greta excitedly nodded and ran off, her giggles echoed through the hallway. Yuuri raised an eyebrow. "Did Celi-sama teach her to giggle like that?" he shuddered. "It sounds exactly like hers…"

"Wimp! Of course not!" Wolfram snorted, and started to pull him down the hallway, ignoring Yuuri's sigh of incredulity. Conrad chuckled a little, and turned to a teary-eyed Günter.

"What is the meeting about, Günter? Is it about the curse?" he asked, lowering his tone. Günter shook his head, his dramatic act vanishing without any trace.

"No. We just received a letter from Caloria. Whatever the letter is about, it's urgent enough to have Gwendal order a sudden meeting."

Conrad nodded as they walked down the hallway. "And..." he hesitated for a second before continued, "What about your research? Any clue?"

"No. I still haven't found anything about the curse. As for the person who cast the curse, I'm glad to say that the progress is pretty satisfying. We might be able to find his descendant—if he had any, that is—in two weeks, if everything goes right."

Conrad smiled. "Thank you, Günter."

"It's my duty. And…" Günter smiled. "However selfish he is, I still can't let anything bad happen to him. I've known him for so long, and I think I've grown accustomed to his behavior. It would be good if he would mind his manners, though,"

Conrad let out an amused chuckle. He couldn't help but think that they were very, very lucky to have Günter as their Royal Advisor.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

_Yuuri-Heika,_

It's been a very long time since I last heard about the situation in Blood Pledge Castle. I sincerely hope that everything is going well with you.

It is not my wish to be a burden, but, once again Caloria needs the help of Shin Makoku. This is a very urgent matter, and I do hope that you will reply immediately after you read this letter with a positive reply, for Caloria is in great need at the moment.

About a month ago, a small fisherman town of Caloria at the border of this country and Shin Makoku had been attacked by a group of rebellion who named themselves Black Dawn. Since the incident, Black Dawn has attacked some other towns and cities of Caloria. So far, there were three small towns and two other bigger cities attacked. Currently, we have no idea what they might want, aside from the riches they have taken from the towns they had attacked. What surprised us is that this group of rebels actually consists of both humans and mazoku. As you know, since we established the alliance between our countries, Caloria has gotten rid of all the esoteric stones. This had eased the rebels' way.

Yuuri-Heika, as your ally in need, Caloria once again asks your help to fight this rebellion. Please come to Caloria and help us. The rebels have caused suffering among my people and the lost of many homes. Caloria desperately needs your help, Yuuri-Heika.

Please reply this letter immediately and I desperately hope that you will give a positive answer. I trust you with all my heart, Yuuri-Heika, and I believe that you would not let Caloria down.

Respectfully,

Fuurin Gilbit

Yuuri folded the letter neatly, a frown appearing on his face. "Rebellion, huh...?" he muttered, and then exclaimed, "We have to help Caloria!"

Murata chuckled at Yuuri's spirit. "Ah, it's decided then," he smiled brightly. "There isn't any problem about going to Caloria, is there, Von Voltaire-kyo?"

Gwendal exchanged glances with Conrad briefly, and then nodded. "Of course not." He paused, and added, " As Caloria's ally, it is our duty to help them when they are in need."

"Well said," Conrad agreed. "The faster we can get rid of these rebels, the better. They might start causing trouble in Shin Makoku too, if we are to wait longer."

Murata nodded. "Then," he looked at Yuuri. "I assume you want to go there yourself, Shibuya?"

"Of course!" Yuuri exclaimed. Wolfram rolled his eyes and pursed his lips, imagining another painful journey on a ship, battling his occasional seasickness.

"Then, I expect you to take care of everything while we're gone, Günter," Gwendal stared at the Royal Advisor, who immediately frowned in disappointment, but could only nodded obediently. "Conrad, you will have to prepare your troops. I will also have my troops ready, of course."

Conrad nodded. "Understand,"

Gwendal now looked at the youngest prince. "And you, Wolfram," he stated. "This one time, I want you to stay in the castle and help Günter."

Silence filled the room at Gwendal's statement. Yuuri held his breath, already feeling the rising tension that would come following Gwendal's statement.

"What?!" Wolfram exclaimed, outraged. "Aniue! I am going, too! I will not stay behind! After all, Yuuri is my fiancé, and it is my duty to guard him!"

"You have your own troops to take care of." Gwendal's face hardened. As he had thought before, Wolfram would not be easy. Gwendal knew his brother's temper would instantly flare and he would throw his arguments and do anything to go with them to Caloria.

But not now. Gwendal refused to hear any of his youngest brother's argument. Wolfram had his own problems to take care of, and in his easily exhausted condition right now, he wouldn't be in a good state to fight the rebels, he thought.

"My troops know how to take care of themselves, and they are all aware of their duties!" Wolfram's voice rising higher and higher. "Whatever the reason, I will not stay behind and let Yuuri go by himself!"

Yuuri dropped his head on the table and sighed audibly.

"Heika is not going by himself. We're-…" Gwendal's words were cut off by another yell, "If there's someone who has the right to go with Yuuri, it's me! Because I am his fiancé!"

"Wolfram-…" Conrad began, intending to stop their argument, but Gwendal cut him off.

"Wolfram von Bielefeld." his tone raised. "This is not about your engagement with Heika. This is about your duty and your obligation. In this case you are not my brother, you are my subordinate. You are obligated to obey my orders!"

_  
_Wolfram narrowed his eyes, knowing perfectly well that Gwendal's argument was a lie.

"Then don't act like an older brother and let me go! I am not a child anymore, dammit! Stop protecting me like I am weak! I am not weak! I don't need any of your protection! I know what this is all about! And how many times I have to tell you that I am perfectly fine! The damn cur-..."

"Enough!" Murata suddenly bellowed, effectively cutting off whatever it was Wolfram was shouting about, and successfully shutting up both mazoku princes' mouths. Everybody in the room immediately fell silent, and stared at the serious-faced Daikenja.

After a few second, Murata smiled innocently. "Maa… I never knew it was actually that easy to shut you guys up..." he laughed, and then smiled at Gwendal. "I think it is fine if Von Bielefeld-kyo wants to go. It's, after all, his duty to protect Shibuya. And I personally have a feeling that we will need Von Bielefeld-kyo later."

Gwendal and Conrad looked at Murata incredulously. Murata smiled innocently.

"What if I say..." Murata looked thoughtful for a second. "That I order Von Bielefeld-kyo to go with Shibuya?"

The words struck both Gwendal and Conrad with horror, while Wolfram gaped in surprise. Murata chuckled softly. "It's okay, right, Shibuya?"

Yuuri—who had been shocked at Murata's ability to stop the argument between Gwendal and Wolfram—stammered and responded, "Uh... yeah... there's no problem for me..."

Gwendal and Conrad exchanged wary glances. Günter shook his head slightly, and Wolfram let out a small, "Hmph!"

Murata grinned. "It's decided, then. When are we going to leave?"

Having recovered from the shock, Gwendal grunted, "It might be best if we leave in two days. The weather to sail to Caloria would be good, and we would be able to prepare better. Also, we need to send a reply to Caloria before we go,"

Yuuri grinned. "Great! It's decided!" he nodded happily, already thinking of days away from Günter's lessons. "Oh, I have to tell Greta that we're going. Well, she'll be a bit sad about his, but she'll understand. Plus, Celi-sama's staying in the castle for a while, and Greta would want to spend as much time as possible with her, anyway…"

"Then, I'd better go and tell Yozak to prepare everything," Conrad smiled and bowed before heading off the door. He caught another glance from Gwendal before he exited, but chose not to react.

"I'll go, too." Wolfram said. "I have to tell my troops that I'm going. Wimp, you'd better be with Greta when I get back!"

Wolfram quickly stomped out of the room, ignoring Yuuri's reply, "I know that! Don't call me wimp!" and closed the door behind him. He could still hear Gwendal's voice asking Murata for a quick talk after he finished his duties.

Sighing, Wolfram bit his bottom lip.

Always, always treating me like a child... Wolfram gritted his teeth. Always protecting me... always treating me like I'm weak and need their protection... not realizing that they've never actually really protected me...

Stupid Aniuetachi…(3)

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Murata slowly traced the smooth, cold surface of the brown, wooden table before him. His forefinger absently made circular motions, eyes fixed on his finger's motion, as if in a trance. His glasses gleamed as the sunset's rays sneaked into the library and fell upon his figure. His mouth moved slightly without any sound coming out, and his eyebrows furrowed a little, before finally blinking several times, and a faint smile made its way up on his face.

The creaking sound of the library door opening made him turn to see the intruder. Or... he smiled. Intruders. Gwendal sure didn't want to make this easy for him.

"Von Voltaire-kyo." He nodded, and added, "Weller-kyo. Von Christ-kyo. And... Celi-sama."

"Geika," Cecilie was the only one greeted him back, although Conrad and Günter offered him their smiles. Gwendal casually made his way to take a seat, followed by the others.

Smiling in amusement, Murata began, "Well, then, what is it that you have to talk to me, Von Voltaire-kyo?"

Gwendal's eyes narrowed. "Geika," there was still a trace of anger in his tone. "I want to ask you to consider your order about including Wolfram in our journey to Caloria."

Murata hummed cheerfully. "Now, Von Voltaire-kyo, I believe that Von Bielefeld-kyo would not like that."

"Geika," Conrad said. "Wolfram is not in a state to fight the rebels. He would only bring more danger to himself. You must know, surely, that it is best to let him stay in the castle. He's been very easily tired and exhausted."

Murata's eyes glinted. "I know that," he nodded and smiled. "However, it's essential for him to come. Somehow, I can feel that if Von Bielefeld-kyo is coming, Shibuya would feel much more at ease."

"If this is about Heika's safety, I am sure that Conrad and Gwendal are more than enough," Günter argued. "There's almost no need to take Wolfram..."

Murata sharply looked at the four mazokus before him. "You are all being overprotective. Von Bielefeld-kyo is more than capable for this journey."

"Geika," Cecilie said softly. "You know perfectly well about what happened to Wolfram." She hesitated a bit, and continued, "The curse… I personally don't want him out of the castle's safety for a while..."

"Celi-sama," Murata smiled. "I understand how you feel. However..." he sighed, and put his intertwined fingers before his nose, covering his mouth from the other's sight. "For once, please consider this. Have you ever thought that maybe, just maybe, none of you've been really protecting Von Bielefeld-kyo all this time?"

The room was silent. Gwendal's left eye twitched, annoyed at the behavior of the Daikenja. Conrad lowered his head until his bangs covering his eyes, masking his anger. Günter subconsciously pursed his lips.

"I..." Cecilie was the one who broke the silent, stammered. "I don't... know what you mean, Geika..."

Murata sighed. "Alright. I'm not going to go through this matter. What I want to say is that Von Bielefeld-kyo is not a child anymore. He's an adult. He needs to have some kind of... acknowledgement, something he earned by himself."

"This is not about it, Geika." Gwendal grunted. "This is about Wolfram's state. He's not at all in the best state to fight the rebels!"

"No one said that we're going to fight, Von Voltaire-kyo." Murata answered calmly. "Knowing Shibuya, he would look for a way to solve this rebellion problem peacefully. Besides, if we let Von Bielefeld-kyo go, they might have more time to be together and know each other better, right?"

Günter made a small "Ah!" sound, while Cecilie gasped. "Is that why...?"

Murata grinned. He then looked at the two mazoku princes. "I'm fully aware of Von Bielefeld's state at the moment. I know that he's easily tired and exhausted, and constantly sleepy because the curse is slowly taking its toll on his body. But he would not be happy if you treat him differently because of that. His pride wouldn't let that."

Silently, Conrad cursed Wolfram's pride.

"And another thing..." Murata smiled. "This might be a good chance to mend the relationship between the three of you." He winked at Gwendal and Conrad. The two princes merely avoided the wink thrown at them.

"It's really a pity that this problem comes to us when we're busy with Von Bielefeld-kyo's case," Murata sighed. "Von Christ-kyo, do you mind if I ask how your research is progressing?"

"I might be able to find the descendant in two weeks," Günter answered, happy to change the subject. "However, neither Gisela nor I have found anything about the curse."

Murata tapped his chin. "So... it really is a strange curse, huh?" he hummed and continued, "Ulrike talked to me yesterday, and she said she found a way that might help keep Von Bielefeld's body functioning—in case we failed and he'd still fall asleep." He turned to look at Gwendal.

"It might give us some more time to look for a cure—anything to break the curse—even though Von Bielefeld-kyo has fallen asleep," the Daikenja added. "And we might find a way to wake him up."

"I wouldn't mind using any way," Cecilie spoke up softly. "It's better late than never. I would give up anything to have him back." She lowered her head and let out a choked, miserable sob.

Conrad instantly rubbed her shoulder. "It's okay, Hahaue..." he murmured. "Although we're talking about this, doesn't mean that we're giving up on breaking the curse." He looked up to shoot Murata a condescending gaze. "Am I right, Geika?"

Murata smiled.

"Listen, Celi-sama," he began. "I have to tell you this. To be honest, Shinou and I are... kind of pessimistic about breaking the curse. Both of us think that we might not make it in time. Von Bielefeld-kyo's time is running out... and not to mention this rebellion problem." He looked at Cecilie seriously. "But I promised to you that, whatever will happen, Shinou and I will keep looking for ways to break the curse, with Ulrike's help, of course."

Cecilie looked up to meet the black eyes of Murata, and immediately saw the promising gaze shining in those black orbs. The former queen nodded, letting her tears fell freely down her cheeks at last, revealing her fragile side as a mother. Conrad squeezed her shoulders lightly, attempting to calm her down a little.

"Now, if you'll excuse me, I still have things to do," Murata stood up, his chair making a small screeching sound as he pushed it back. "Von Christ-kyo, I would like to see your research, if you don't mind."

"Ah, of course. Of course, Geika." Hastily, Günter rose to his feet and led Murata to exit the room, all the while explaining. "It's in my study. I did a small background research on the suspects, and I am able to narrow it down more, but apparently there are some people whose lineages are pretty suspicious, if I may say so-…"

As the two exited the library, the door closing softly behind them.

Gwendal let out a tired sigh. Cecilie sniffled, wiping the tears from her face. Conrad settled back down in his chair, not bothering to put on a smile on his face, and instead leaned back on his chair tiredly.

"Why does this have to come when we're busy with Wolfram...?" Conrad murmured, asking no one in particular. Gwendal glanced at him slightly.

Cecilie bit her lips. "I'm sorry..." she trailed off. "I'm so sorry..."

"Hahaue, it's not your fault." Gwendal stated, the firm tone in his voice never faltered. Cecilie shook her head, once again sobbing into her hands.

"If only... I could do something that time… to prevent the curse… if only... I didn't fall in love with Scheiner..."

"Hahaue..." Conrad cut her off, offering a sad, small smile. "If you didn't fall in love with Wolfram's father, then Wolfram wouldn't even be here right now. It's not something we should regret." And I would never regret it, Conrad added mentally.

Cecilie nodded, sniffling. "I know. But… but... my poor Wolfie..." she tried to wipe her tears away, a useless effort since the tears kept falling down. "Why… why does it have to be him? Why couldn't it be me?"

"Hahaue..." Gwendal sighed, not knowing what to say to his mother. Conrad inhaled deeply, and reached out to hold Cecilie's hands.

"Hahaue," he said softly. "Right now, we have not only the curse to be worried about, but also this rebellion. Wolfram... it would be dangerous for him to fight if he's easily exhausted. Not to mention that the journey to Caloria would be rough for him... with his seasickness... it's not a time for us to blame ourselves."

Thank Shinou that Conrad is good with words, Gwendal thought instantly.

Cecilie nodded, and drew Conrad into a soft embrace. "I'm sorry." She whispered. "I'm sorry for troubling both of you, Conrad. Gwendal," she let out another choked sob. "But... but please..." she closed her eyes, crystalline tears ran down her cheek freely. "Please... take care of your baby brother. Please... protect him. Don't let him go just yet... please..."

Conrad closed his eyes, feeling his mother's worries and anxiety. He peered at Gwendal—who chose to look down at the table, eyes narrowing, and his hands fisted.

"Please, Conrad?" Cecilie pleaded once again. "I... I really want one more chance to be a mother… and I don't want any of my children to slip out of my hands... please, take care of him..." Cecilie gulped, and continued, "Take care of each other... please, the three of you... come back to Hahaue safely?"_  
_  
"We will, Hahaue," with a surprisingly soft tone, Gwendal was the one who answered. "We promise."

Conrad let out a soft smile at his older brother's answer. He tightened his embrace on Cecilie a little, and whispered,

"We promise."

Cecilie sobbed, but smiled softly nonetheless.

Closing his eyes once again, Conrad wondered whether what Murata said was true.

"And another thing... this might be a good chance to mend the relationship between the three of you,"

Daikenja was the wisest of sages, after all…

Right?

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

A brownish black horse halted in front of the entrance of the Blood Pledge Castle. The hooded rider chose not to dismount from the horse instead towered over the guards before him.

"I request to speak to the Maou. It is urgent."

"Who are you?" the guards asked, bewildered. The hooded figure was about to pull back his hood when suddenly Conrad and Günter moved nearer. The two noble mazoku glanced at the hooded rider, and Günter let out a small, "Ah."

Conrad smiled.

"Long time no see, Adelbert,"

"Same to you, Weller," Adelbert pulled back his hood, and stared at Conrad sharply. He really never bothered to mask his bad mood. "I have news. Is the kid…"

"Heika is with Gwendal, now." Conrad cut him, still smiling. Adelbert nodded. "Good. I have to talk to Von Voltaire-kyo, too." He dismounted from his horse.

Günter turned to him. "What is this about?"

Adelbert halted and turned to the advisor. His eyes narrowed, obviously restraining his anger.

"Black Dawn."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Yuuri sighed as he reached for another paper that needed to be signed. "I'm bored..."

He threw his gaze outside the window. The sun was shining brightly; its rays falling against the glass windows and sneaking into his study. The birds outside chirped happily, soaring proudly in the air and chasing each other. Yuuri could see Sangria and Greta standing in the flower garden—Greta was chasing butterflies and dragonflies, laughing all the time.

Such a beautiful day it was.

"Being stuck inside with an enormous pile of paperwork on such a nice day like this… so boring…" he muttered under his breath, subconsciously pursing his lips in disappointment.

Wolfram, who was standing behind him, heard that. He smiled slightly. "It's because you're just a wimp that you need a long time to finish those." He commented. Yuuri glared at him. "Well, it's not my fault that I still need help to understand your language! Don't call me wimp!"

The sound of someone knocking on the study door made them turn to it. Gwendal rose to his feet, saying, "Come in," in a tone telling whoever knocking that they were busy.

The door opened, revealing Conrad—who smiled apologetically at Gwendal, Günter and… Yuuri's eyes widened, before exclaiming cheerfully, "Adelbert-san!"

Wolfram frowned. "What do you want this time?"

"He brings information on the Black Dawn." Conrad answered, looking at Gwendal. "I suppose it's urgent enough to interrupt Heika's routine?"

Gwendal nodded.

"About Black Dawn?" Yuuri tapped his chin. "The rebellion that Fuurin-san asked us to help her with?""

Adelbert's eyes narrowed. "I see. So they have gone and had a good time in Caloria, huh?"

"What do you know about them?" Gwendal inquired.

"Not much," Adelbert grunted. "We—my friends and I—have been fighting them for two months or maybe more. They have been attacking some small human villages near the border of Shin Makoku. The attacks did not cause anything major, but it's quite troublesome, I have to say."

"Is it true that the rebellion consists of humans and mazoku?" Günter asked.

Adelbert nodded. "It is the mazokus that make them troublesome. There aren't many mazokus with them, but most of them control powerful elemental magic." Adelbert eyed Wolfram. "I've met three fire controllers who might be in the same level as you."

Yuuri cringed at the thought of three fire handlers. The same level as Wolfram? That means the chances of him getting burnt to crisp were three times bigger!

"Not to mention, all the humans in Black Dawn are very good in sword combat. To be exact," Adelbert hesitated, but continued, "They have the mazoku power for long-distance combat, and they have humans skills for close combat. A powerful combination."

Gwendal sighed, rubbing his forehead. "What is it that they want? Do you know?"

"It seems that they are the kind of rebels who want wealth. They robbed the towns they attacked, not leaving anything valuable behind." Adelbert snorted. "But that is nothing out of the ordinary. The problem is, they kidnap the mazokus with powerful elemental magic in the towns they attacked. No doubt they are trying to build strength."

"Build strength?" Yuuri's eyebrows furrowed. "You mean... there's a possibility that their attacks on the towns are just... the beginning?"

"Most likely. They must have a bigger plan than to attack small towns only." Adelbert said. "I had a duel with their leader once."

"Eh?!" everybody was surprised.

"Is he a human or mazoku?" Wolfram was the one who asked first.

"Mazoku." Adelbert answered. "And I have to say... a very powerful one, he is. He controls the thunder element. Apparently he's a magician, because I saw him cast a spell once. His sword combat ability is not something you can look down at. He's very fast. I can't say that he's as good as you..." he glanced at Conrad. "But he's certainly not someone you want to look down at."

Günter's eyes narrowed.

"Do you know his name?" Yuuri inquired.

Adelbert shook his head. "Unfortunately no. I had no desire to ask."

"Oh..." Yuuri nodded. "I wonder if Fuurin-san knows more about this matter..." he glanced at Gwendal.

Adelbert turned to the oldest prince of Shin Makoku. "They are in Caloria?"

"We received a letter from Caloria this morning." Gwendal replied. "They're asking for our help to deal with Black Dawn."

"I take it as you all will be going to Caloria shortly?" it was a statement, not a question, but Gwendal nodded nonetheless.

Adelbert nodded. "I see." He looked at Yuuri. "We wouldn't be in any need of help with Black Dawn for now. But for later, I can't guarantee that we'd be able to take them down."

"So you actually came here to ask for help, huh?" Wolfram snorted. Yuuri glared at him again. "Wolfram!"

Adelbert's eyes narrowed. "That wouldn't be necessary," he said. "If you can take Black Dawn down in Caloria, the attacks in the towns in our area would stop. I was actually going to offer my help."

Yuuri was taken aback at Adelbert's bluntness. Instantly, his face brightened, happy that Adelbert was actually thinking of helping him.

"That was kind of you," Conrad smiled. "But we have already prepared everything. It won't be necessary for now, ne, Gwendal?"

Gwendal nodded. "However," the stoic man continued. "We might be in need of more help later. I'll make sure to contact you if the time of need comes."

Adelbert nodded, satisfied. "I'll look forward to it."

Yuuri smiled widely. Getting an acknowledgement from Adelbert had its own meaning to the 27th Maou. If there was someone Yuuri really wanted to prove to that he was capable to be a good Maou, it was Adelbert. And Yuuri knew, he was getting close to proving himself to Adelbert.

I can't give up now, can I?

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Greta sat on the edge of her bed, her feet dangling and she swung them playfully, while her lips formed a cute small pout. Her hands were hugging a teddy bear Yuuri had given to her from Earth tightly, and her warm, brown eyes were looking down at the two figures of her parents kneeling before her.

"Greta..." Yuuri began, and Greta puffed her cheeks childishly. Wolfram let an amused smile tugged on his lips at the childish reaction.

"We promise we'll be back in less than a month. Okay?"

"But Greta wants to play with Yuuri and Wolfram..." the girl pouted again, and Yuuri scratched his head. Greta had never been this hard before. Sure, usually she would be a little disappointed every time Yuuri and Wolfram go in a mission, but she had never been so stubborn in saying that they could not go...

Greta looked at Wolfram, pleading. "Wolfram? Stay?"

"Of course I can't, Greta. If Yuuri goes, then I have to go." Wolfram patted Greta's head. "We won't be very long."

"Yeah, we'll be back before you know it," Yuuri chimed in. Greta's eyes lowered in disappointment. "But... Greta doesn't want Yuuri and Wolfram to go..."

"Now, Greta," Yuuri moved to sit next to the little princess. "You know, it's very important to help Fuurin-san. She's a good woman, right?"

Greta nodded slightly.

"And she needs our help. So, as a good Maou, I have to go and help her, ne?" Yuuri continued. "Fuurin-san would be in danger if we don't help her. Say, does Greta like Fuurin-san?"

Once again, Greta nodded spiritedly. "Um! Fuurin-san is pretty and very kind, and she is very friendly!"

"Yes, you're right." Yuuri smiled. "But if I don't go and help her, she might not be able to visit us anymore."

Greta's eyes widened. "Umm..." she pursed her lips, looking thoughtful. "Greta likes Fuurin-san... but Yuuri! It would be dangerous to go there, ne? What if the bad guys attack Yuuri? What if the bad guys…"

"Greta," Wolfram was the one who cut her. "Yuuri will be okay. I will protect him, with Aniue... and Weller-kyo, too. Don't worry about him."

Greta looked at her other father. "But... but then..." she hesitated. "Who will protect Wolfram...?"

Silence filled the room. Greta lowered her head. It was the first time she felt strongly about not wanting her parents to go in a mission. She didn't know why, she only felt that she didn't want them to go. And, of course, although she's still a little child, Greta could say that Wolfram wasn't in a good state for fighting. She had spotted several times Wolfram spacing out, and Greta could say that he looked exhausted. She particularly wanted Wolfram to stay back, but she knew that Wolfram wouldn't stay if Yuuri didn't stay.

Wolfram pinched her cheek softly. "Silly Greta," his tone was softer than ever. "I'm strong. Unlike the wimp, I don't need to be protected."

"I'm not a wimp!" Yuuri protested. He turned to Greta. "Don't worry about him, Greta. If something happened to Wolfram, of course I would protect him!"

Wolfram's eyes widened. He was taken aback at Yuuri's exclamation.

…Yuuri…

Yuuri didn't seem to realize what he had just said. He kept his eyes on Greta, and said seriously, "Greta, listen. I might not be as strong as Conrad and the others, but I will try my best not to be a burden, so no one would be hurt protecting me."

Greta bit her lips, looking unsure. Yuuri smiled.

"Now, Greta, don't you think the Maou is strong?" the little princess gave a nod. "That's why I will protect everyone, too." Yuuri said, determination shone in his eyes. "I won't let anyone die. I promise. I will protect everyone."

Greta's face lit up. "Yuuri will?"

Yuuri smiled and nodded. "And I will protect Wolfram, too. So, you don't need to worry. We will come home safely. Promise!"

Wolfram lowered his head, hiding a small, bittersweet smile.

Greta smiled widely, offering her little fingers to both Yuuri and Wolfram. "Promise, ne?" her eyes twinkled. "Yuuri and Wolfram would protect each other?"

Wolfram's eyes widened. Greta…

Could it be that she… understand their relationship that much? Could she actually feel Wolfram's insecurities about the engagement?

The mazoku prince's eyes softened.

"Promise," without hesitation, Yuuri entwined his little finger with Greta's left little finger. Greta looked up at Wolfram, raising her eyebrows.

"Wolfram?"

Wolfram smiled. Slowly, he entwined his little finger to Greta's right little finger. "Promise." He said softly.

Greta's smile widened in satisfaction and she released their fingers.

"But don't be too long, ne, Yuuri?" she said innocently. "It's lonely in the castle if everybody isn't here…"

Yuuri grinned. "Of course, Greta! Now, let's go to bed. We'll need our energy tomorrow."

As Yuuri and Greta climbed up the Royal Bed, Wolfram turned to the closet to change his uniform into the usual pink nightgown. He could hear Greta's giggle, pleading Yuuri to stop tickling her, Yuuri's teasing voice, and he smiled, feeling grateful for having a chance to have a so-called-family.

"If something happened to Wolfram, of course I would protect him!"

A soft pinkish shade colored Wolfram's cheeks. He bit his lips for several seconds, closing his eyes tightly.

Could it be that he... felt the same?

No, don't be naïve, Wolfram. He said that because you're his friend. Doesn't he always treat everyone the same? He would protect everybody, not only you.

But... what if he actually...

Don't let your hope goes too high, remember?

…………

You should know better.

……. I know...

"Wolfram!" Greta's voice startled him. "Come on! Greta has sooo many things to tell you and Yuuri! Today, Lasagna told Greta a legend about the lake in the forest, it was an amazing story!"

Closing his eyes, Wolfram let a small smile tugging on his lips. He turned around.

"I'm coming."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"That was a very close one." Shinou shook his head, smiling at Murata who just came into his room. Murata smiled back at Shinou, eyes glancing slightly at the boxes behind him.

Realizing that his Daikenja's eyes straying behind him, Shinou smiled. "Why, my Daikenja, you don't have to worry about these stupid boxes anymore."

"I know, I know," Murata shrugged. "It does bring back bad memories, though,"

Shinou's cheerful smile turned into a wistful one. "I'm sorry for all the trouble I had caused you."

"Saa…" Murata chuckled. "I promised, didn't I?" his eyes softened. "After all, you'll always be my King."

Shinou laughed softly. "What would I do without you..." he murmured affectionately. "You did a very good job today."

"Aah, as you said, it was a very close one. Von Bielefeld-kyo nearly shouted everything about the curse. If he did..." Murata shrugged once again. "Shibuya would definitely do everything out of sympathy… even though it actually came from his feelings for Von Bielefeld-kyo."

"But Von Bielefeld-kyo wouldn't believe his affection," Shinou agreed. "He would think that Yuuri's acts towards him are caused by pity. Besides, Yuuri wouldn't allow him to go to Caloria, and that would mean less opportunity to make Yuuri realize his feelings."

Murata's glasses gleamed. "Sharp as usual, aren't you?" he chuckled. Shinou smirked.

"I'm proud of that certain personality of mine." He said casually. "Did you have a rough time with Von Voltaire-kyo and everyone else?"

Murata sighed. "I didn't like forcing them to agree with my decision," he said, moving closer to the original Maou. "I especially feel bad for Celi-sama."

"I can see that," Shinou's eyes softened. He reached his hand towards the Daikenja, his blue eyes met Murata's black ones.

"May I?" he asked softly. Murata smiled, before reaching out to reach the Original King's hand. Their fingers intertwined, and Shinou gently drew him into his arms.

"Of course," Murata mumbled, not caring that his permission came too late.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

TBC

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

A/N: Aah!! I fell in love with ShinouDaikenja!! In this case, also means ShinouMurata, ne? Kyahahahaha… -crazy laugh- They're such a great couple, just like YuuriWolfram. Khukukukuukuu..

A little itsy bitsy tiny bit to explaiiiinnn…:

Greta sleeps with Yuuri and Wolfram since the OVA…ne? Just for information, Greta holds a very important role in this fic, because I do feel that not many fics placing her as an important role, mostly placing her just as Yuuri's daughter. Just wait, she'll kick into the action soon!!

'Aniuetachi' means 'Older Brothers'. Yes, plural. Because deep in his mind, I am absolutely certain that Wolfram acknowledges Conrad as his older brother.. he just doesn't want to show it because Conrad is a HUMAN, and calling him brother would go against his pride, and prejudice towards human. I didn't want to type 'older brothers' because I just want to use the term 'Aniuetachi', so I have no apparent reason for it. Besides, I think Aniuetachi is much cuter, kyahaha..

Yep, that's all. Thank you so very much for reading up to this point, and please, please be kind and REVIEW! I love constructive criticisms, honest! Flames are welcome, yes.. because I truly need it for the woodstove, it's freezing here.

Hey, don't you think it's cute seeing Conrad watching over little Wolfram playing with Elizabeth in the original series? –hysterical mode- Brotherly love fluff! AAAKHH! Nisa-san, KEJAAM!! –sweatdrops-

Next Chapter: Yuuri plus Fuurin equals to…Wolfram's jealousy, of course. But…

With lots and lots of loves and gratitudes;

(isumi'kivic' and Ilde)


	5. Caloria

Title: Pride and Prejudice, a Maruma fic

Title: Pride and Prejudice, a Maruma fic

Author: isumi'kivic'

Beta: Invikta and Mabs-fantasy

Pairings: Absolute YuuriWolfram, and definitely more other pairings in later chapters.

Warnings: This fic contains shounen-ai or yaoi, or BL or slash, which means romantic relationship between males. OOC-ness is a definite fact. If you don't like it, well, too bad! Anyway, you've been warned, so read at your own risk.

Disclaimer: Legally, Kyou Kara Ma-Ou belongs to Takabayashi Tomo-sensei and other respective owners. I am merely a HUGE fangirl of it, who owns only the plot of this fic and the OCs I made for the sake of it. I am merely a girl who love YuuriWolfram and keeps praying that they would be married soon. Pride and Prejudice belongs to the genius, wonderful Jane Austen.

A/N: Thank you so very much, everyone who had read the previous chapter, and thank you so very very much, for everyone who had reviewed! Your reviews always brightened my days… -bows- please, read this chapter thoroughly and tell me what you think, and I hope I won't disappoint you! Review, ne?

Cookies for the three reviewers for being very sharp: . Yes, you can see that you guessed right about the descendant thing here. XD Enjoy your cookies.

I'm shouting my endless gratitude for the two people who had helped me thus far… Vivi-sama, Az-sama, DOUMO ARIGATOU GOZAIMASU!! For beta-ing, for listening to my whines, for correcting my mistakes, for EVERYTHING! Here two chocolate cakes for you..

Nisa-san, the 'fic on spot' is truly fun, ne? We should try it again the next time we talk… LOL Whahahahaha!! And really, people should try that. It's very refreshing!

An important note, I forgot that Fuurin is the lady of Caloria, not Shou Shimaron (Az-sama is wonderful for reminding me about this..). And also, in his room where the boxes are kept, Shinou wasn't protected by the blue barrier thingy at all, it was just my memory playing tricks on me. –cries- I have the last chapter corrected when I posted this, I swear.

Jaa, minna-san, enjoy the fifth chapter! Don't forget to review, please??

--o0o--

"Five-hundred-and-one-million, six-hundred-and-twenty-two-thousand, seven-hundred-thirty-one stars in the sky,"-The Little Prince, Antoine de Saint Exupéry-

For you, my Nobody, because I will always love you no matter what will happened between us..

--o0o--

_**Pride and Prejudice**_

_**Chapter Five: Caloria**_

Caloria…

Fuurin Gibit tapped her feet impatiently. She threw her gaze once again towards the ocean, waiting for the familiar Mazoku ship she and her subordinate had been waiting for. Sighing, she turned her gaze to watch the people around her. In her right hand, a white envelope with the Shin Makoku seal was tightly clutched.

"There they are!"

Fuurin's head snapped up and turned to the ocean again, her face lit up instantly at the sight of the Mazoku ship—and a figure clad in black, standing on the ship's deck, waving his hand enthusiastically, shouting greetings in a cheerful tone. Fuurin's smile widened.

"Yuuri-Heika!" she waved back, a surge of relief filling her mind. As the ship came in to dock, she ordered her advisor to get the horses ready.

"Fuurin-san!" the Maou cheerfully greeted her as he moved closer, followed by his usual party. Fuurin smiled. "Yuuri-Heika. It's a pleasure to see you well." She looked past Yuuri to see the Daikenja grinning at her. "And Geika, I'm very glad to meet you."

"Long time no see, Fuurin-san." Murata replied, offering his charming smile. "I certainly hope our sudden arrival won't cause more difficulties for Caloria."

Fuurin shook her head. "No, of course not." She turned to smile to Yuuri. "In fact, we are all very happy that Shin Makoku replied to the letter quickly." She ushered them to the horses that had been prepared. "Now, shall we?"

The enthusiasm of seeing Caloria again after a long time in Yuuri's mind was overwhelming. Helped by Conrad, he swiftly climbed onto his horse. The others followed suit; Wolfram purposefully positioning the horse he was on between Yuuri and Fuurin, much to Fuurin's amusement. Murata and Conrad rode next to Yuuri, while Gwendal led the group after ordering the soldiers to ride straight to the camp Caloria had provided for them.

The group slowly proceeded to leave the harbor, entering the small fishermen town on their way to Caloria's castle. Gwendal's eyes observed every corner of the town. Fuurin's letter had said that this town was attacked last month by Black Dawn. True, Gwendal could still see the remaining damages of destroyed houses, buildings and roads, as people worked together, helping each other to rebuild their houses or shops, mending broken roads and alleys.

People raised their heads and bowed at the presence of both Fuurin and Yuuri, wishing them a good day and sending secretive smiles that—for no apparent reasons—irritated Wolfram so much. On the other hand, Yuuri seemed to be having fun, casually greeting those who looked up to him, and even to the giggling town girls who blushed when the Maou gave them a friendly smile.

"Everyone is getting along so well, ne, Fuurin-san?" Yuuri turned to look past Wolfram, at Fuurin. "It makes me happy to see something like this."

"Indeed," Fuurin smiled. "Although the rebels' attack last month caused a lot of damage, it's a miracle the people here managed to rebuild the town so quickly." She paused, and then continued softly as a tender smile made its way to her lips. "To see people living together in happiness and peace... isn't this the only wish the rulers of nations and kingdoms like us want?"

Yuuri smiled and nodded in agreement.

It wasn't after they made a turn to the direction of the town's borders did they hear a loud roar coming from the opposite direction, followed by the sounds of horses thundering towards them and panicked screams, completely destroying the peacefulness of the afternoon. People started running away from the source of the sound, and the echoes of voices pleading in trepidation deafening their ears. Suddenly a loud and horrendous explosion could be heard and pieces from a destroyed shophouse lifted high into the sky, a gruesome sight as the screams of terror grew louder indicating to the Maou and his party the gravity of the situation.

Gwendal, Conrad and Wolfram quickly moved to surround Yuuri and Murata, while Fuurin's guards edged closer to protect their Queen. All their senses were on high alert, ready to attack at any time, eyes unblinkingly fixed at the source of the explosion though the black ominous smoke made it hard to see anything. Gwendal growled as he motioned Conrad to back up a little in order to be able to retaliate in a sudden attack.

"Don't let your guard down." Fuurin's voice was firm. "It's them."

As the smoke cleared little by little, Yuuri squinted his eyes, trying to see through the thick, suffocating layers of white and black. His eyes widened when he was finally able to make out the silhouette of more than 20 people on their horses, swords drawn dangerously, and looks of satisfaction decorating their faces. Yuuri could hear Gwendal growl slightly.

Murata smiled softly in amusement. "For Shinou's sake, we've only just arrived and they're already welcoming us so warmly... don't you think they're rushing it a little bit, Shibuya?"

"Geika, please do not joke in this situation." Conrad said not a hint of his usual mirth in his tone. "These people… half of them are Mazoku."

Murata chuckled sheepishly. "Aah... my apologies, then, Weller-kyo. Do be careful, though," his glasses glinted. "If what Adelbert said about the Black Dawn is true, then the Mazoku over there are controllers of powerful magic elements."

As if on cue, one of the rebels suddenly raised his hand high and started to chant. A small yet powerful hurricane appeared suddenly before them, and rushed towards the Maou's party with a howling sound, giving Gwendal only a mere second to raise the ground into a high wall, protecting them from the hurricane. The hurricane smashed into the wall, making an earsplitting howling sound as it blasted the wall into pieces before disappearing completely.

Yuuri let his jaw dropped. Even Gwendal's magic was destroyed…

"That is one powerful wind controller." Murata commented, his glasses gleaming under the sunrays. "He might be in the same level as Von Christ-kyo."

"With Günter?" Yuuri subconsciously breathed in disbelief.

The wind Mazoku looked at him, satisfaction and pride gleaming in his expression. He raised his hand again and pointed towards Yuuri, and then towards Fuurin. The rest of the rebels smirked, the tore in a mad rush towards the party, leaving a cloud of dust in their wake. Gwendal gritted his teeth as he watched rebels spread and surrounded them.

"Conrad! Wolfram! Retaliate!" he commanded, and his two brothers nodded, every muscles and nerve coming alive at the prospect of battle. Fuurin's guards edged closer as they drew their swords waiting for an opportunity to strike.

"Hear me all particles who dwell in fire..." Yuuri's head snapped up as Wolfram chanted, and his eyes grew wide at the huge blazing fireball Wolfram formed in his right hand. The youngest mazoku prince threw the fireball with deadly accuracy towards the rebels, only for it to be challenged by another fireball of equal intensity coming from the opposite direction!

Yuuri exclaimed, "Another fire controller?!"

"Shibuya!" Murata screamed when he saw three arrows slicing through the air heading straight towards the Maou. Conrad was quick to respond, dodging the arrows and closing the distance between him, the Daikenja, and Yuuri, his sword raised and ready. He couldn't draw a relieved breath yet, as the closest rebel suddenly rushed forward to engage him in a clash of swords. He retaliated, trying to attack while still guarding the Maou and the Daikenja in the same time. Their swords clashed in a deafening sound.

Yuuri was quick to draw Morgif out, eyebrows furrowing in determination and concentration when one of the rebels decided to thrust his sword towards the Maou. Dodging it, Yuuri pushed back with all his might and slashed clumsily as his opponent took a step back. His brain worked hazily in the midst of chaos, but he gripped Morgif tightly when his opponent sent a powerful stroke he barely dodged. Wincing slightly when he felt the sword pierce the skin on his arm, he balled his fist and gave his opponent a vicious punch in his head, successfully tumbling him off his horse. Backing several steps, Yuuri noticed Wolfram flying past him to knock his opponent off.

"Wimp!" Wolfram shouted, but Yuuri caught a glint of astonishment and pride in his eyes. "Are you okay?!"

"I'm fine!" Yuuri couldn't help but grin at his actions earlier, slightly wondering what his mother would say if he told her about this.

Wolfram nodded, but never left his side after that, helping Yuuri to strike back at the attacks aimed at them, while Conrad protecting Murata, his movement swift and effective, and Murata was silently thinking to give him some kind of standing ovation after watching the half-mazoku prince took down his fourth opponent. Gwendal apparently had gotten rid of the wind mazoku, and had taken down five or six other rebels. Fuurin—protected by her guards—had drawn her sword as well, retaliating in graceful motions.

Yuuri thrust Morgif towards the last rebel he faced, clashing with his opponent's sword, and he swung his sword to the side, and pushed forward, causing his opponent to lose his balance and fall off his horse. Glowering before the rebel—who was apparently human—Yuuri bellowed, "Get lost!" and the human backed away hastily, only to be knocked off by Gwendal.

Sensing the situation getting worse for their side, the rebels began to back off and re-group into a small circle. Gwendal was about to commence another strike when the fire mazoku unexpectedly blasted the house next to them. Gwendal growled as he produced another wall to protect them from the falling bricks and woods. When he looked up, the rebels were already far into the horizon, leaving only a dusty trails behind, much to Gwendal's vexation.

"Whew!" Murata let out a relieved chuckle, finally letting his gaze strayed around the destroyed part of the town. "That was intense," he commented, ignoring the incredulous looks Yuuri sent him. Conrad sheathed his sword, and turned to Yuuri. "Are you okay, Heika?" he worriedly eyed the blood seeping out of Yuuri's sliced wound, dripping down the black uniform.

Yuuri gave a sheepish smile, glancing slightly at Wolfram who tore a handkerchief and used it to bandage his. He winced. "I'm fine." He mumbled, feeling some kind of heat creep up his face when Wolfram's finger brushed his skin.

"My apologies, Yuuri-Heika. I didn't expect Black Dawn to attack that fast..." Fuurin quickly moved closer to inspect his wound. "That doesn't look good. We have to reach the castle as soon as possible."

Wolfram's eyes narrowed as he moved his horse forward to subtly distance Fuurin from Yuuri. "He'll be okay," he said in a harsh tone. "He wouldn't die because of that small gash."

Fuurin quickly smiled when she realized that she had imposed onto what Wolfram would call _his_ private property. "Of course. Maou Heika is far stronger, ne?" she averted Wolfram's look and turned to Yuuri. "Shall we go?"

Yuuri nodded, trying to smile cheerfully despite of the pain in his elbow. "Yeah, let's go!"

The party continued their journey to the castle of Caloria. As the horses walked slightly faster, Yuuri put his hand on his chest, wondering if the rapid beating of his heart was caused by their previous encounter with the rebels or...

He shook his head slowly to push away the thought, but his mind had already completed it for him.

...or was it caused by a mere touch of a certain mazoku blond prince

--o0o--

Yuuri softly poked his bandaged arm, and winced. He'd have never thought he would ever have gotten wounded seeing as the three brothers were always protecting him. He felt a proud grin creep up his face, thinking about his earlier actions. So that's how it feels to swing a sword to defend yourself... Yuuri mused.

"How's your arm, wimp?" Wolfram's voice started him. Yuuri grinned. "Aah. It's okay, don't worry."

The blonde prince stood next to him on the seat opposite to Fuurin. They were all in Fuurin's study, ready to start the meeting between Caloria and Shin Makoku. Gwendal was engaged in a serious conversation with one of Fuurin's advisor, while Fuurin was talking to Murata, and Conrad stood behind Wolfram, looking at him worriedly.

"We apologize, Heika." Conrad said, guilt in his eyes. "It's our fault that you are wounded..."

Yuuri waved his hand in a dismissal gesture. "Gee... Conrad, it's okay. This might hurt, but it's not serious. Besides, it's nothing compared to what you guys usually get when protecting me." The black-haired boy smiled. "At least now I can prove you that I'm not a burden."

Wolfram let out a soft "hmph," and muttered something under his breath that sounds like, "Wimp, you're never a burden," but Yuuri wasn't sure what it was he heard. Conrad seemed to hear it clearly, though, because he gave Wolfram a knowing smile.

"My deepest apologies, Yuuri-Heika, for the previous encounter we had with the rebels," Fuurin looked distressed when she turned to Yuuri. "It was truly unexpected."

"Aah, Fuurin-san, it's nothing!" Yuuri grinned. "Now that we know who they are, it might be easier for us to track them, ne?"

"Actually," Murata started, pushing his glasses up with his finger. "Caloria had succeeded in tracking them down, and was ready to attack them, Shibuya."

Yuuri's eyes widened. "Eh? But Fuurin-san..." he hesitated, but then continued, "Violence wouldn't solve anything!"

"I'm aware of that, Heika." Fuurin gave Yuuri her sweetest smile. "That is why I asked you to come. I wanted to hear your opinion on this matter as Caloria's ally. My advisors see that attacking the rebels is the only way to get rid of them, but however..."

Yuuri frowned. "I disagree." He said quickly. "Can't we try to talk with them first, to see what they actually want?"

Gwendal cleared his throat. "Heika," he stated matter-of-factly. "They are rebels. The possibility of them agreeing to our proposal of a negotiation is almost zero."

"You wouldn't know if you don't try," at Yuuri's counter, Gwendal suppressed a heavy sigh. He should've known better that Yuuri would always be very stubborn about this.

"Do you have any information regarding Black Dawn, Fuurin-san?" Murata asked. Fuurin nodded slightly.

"About two weeks ago, I had an encounter with them on my way to an attacked village." Fuurin began. "We were up on a hill, and they suddenly had us cornered in a matter of minutes. It was a good thing that I had more soldiers coming up our way, and the rebels backed off due to their lack of numbers. We only faced around ten or fifteen that time." Fuurin paused, and thoughtfully added, "I suspect that they would use guerilla strategy."

"I see." Murata nodded. "Continue, please."

"We were able to capture two of them, both humans. We tried to pry information out about Black Dawn from them, but it seemed that they were only subordinates, and they don't know much about Black Dawn itself. They stated, however, that Black Dawn intended to unite all mazoku and humans under one nation."

"Under one nation?" Yuuri began. "Why would they-..."

"Many people believe that if everybody is united under one nation, there would be no more war, Heika." Conrad explained. "Although I doubt that it was their actual intention."

Fuurin nodded. "Exactly." She paused to take a thin paper held by one of her advisors. "However, the two rebels we captured mention some names of people who apparently have higher position in the rebellion, including their leader. I recognized some of the names here after we went through the citizen data, so I thought you might want to see some of them. I'm quite certain that half the names on this list are mazoku."

Yuuri reached for the paper Fuurin put on the table and eyed it thoroughly. At the first name mentioned after the title, he muttered softly, "Leader... Isenbert von Gottfried..." he glanced up at Conrad and Wolfram, eyes inspecting their faces to see whether the name made any impression whatsoever on them.

But Wolfram knitted his eyebrows in confusion, and Conrad's face was totally blank.

"Von Gottfried... I've never heard of that surname," Wolfram said slowly, looking up at Conrad. "Have you, Weller-kyo?"

"Iie." Conrad shook his head and glanced at Gwendal, who shook his head as well.

"Well..." Murata began as he snatched the paper from Yuuri and offered it to Gwendal. "Send this to Von Christ-kyo and ask him to do a thorough research on this list."

"Yes, Geika."

"I still insist that we should try to talk to them." Yuuri said, ignoring the look he received from Gwendal. "There would be no harm in requesting that!"

Fuurin smiled. As expected of the Maou, she silently thought, and said, "Maybe it's the best. After all, as Yuuri-Heika said, violence solves nothing."

"Well, it's decided, then!" Murata clapped his hand. "Now, all we need to do is send a messenger to Black Dawn's and request for a meeting."

"I will see that a messenger would be sent after dinner tonight." Fuurin concluded.

The dinner bell rang as they finished the meeting. Fuurin quickly rose on her feet, offering a bright smile to Yuuri and said, "It would be an honor for us to escort you to our dinner party, Heika."

"Eh?" Yuuri was taken aback. "Par... ty? But Fuurin-san... you didn't say..."

Fuurin let out a hearty laugh and winked. "I was just kidding, Heika. Yes, we indeed have a small dinner party, only for the nobles of this castle. There's no need to worry." She led him to the door, only to be slightly pushed out the way by the golden-haired prince when he reached the door.

She smiled in half-amusement and half-apology when Wolfram sent a lethal glare towards her. Shaking her head slightly, Fuurin thought, sometimes, having a meeting with a country whose King was engaged to a jealous and over-protecting fiancé could be a little troublesome.

--o0o--

Yuuri's eyes were wide open as he cursed himself silently. He was sure it was already midnight and—as Wolfram who was next to him—he should be asleep by now, especially after this afternoon's small encounter with those rebels. But no, his eyes apparently refused to comply with him and his aching arm to let him sleep and get some rest, thus as a result, he was still wide awake.

It wasn't that the bed Fuurin had provided for him—yes, it was for him, not for him and his fiancé…wait a minute, he didn't just say his fiancé, didn't he?—was less comfortable than the royal bed he slept on in Blood Pledge Castle, nor was it was because of his aching arm, though Yuuri slightly hoped that Wolfram would wake up and do something about it—don't take it the wrong way, he only meant maybe the blonde could get him painkiller medicines or something. His eyes simply were being rebellious, that's all.

He shifted slightly to turn his face to Wolfram's back. Since when did the youngest prince sleep with his back to Yuuri? He tried to recall the last time Wolfram slept facing him, but couldn't remember any, but he could feel the slight heat crept up on his face and the slightly quickening pace of his heart.

Yuuri frowned. Did he eat something wrong or something—or maybe he has a fever? Maybe he should ask Conrad later...

He sighed silently. Well, because his eyes refused to cooperate, he might as well enjoy a little refreshing night walk until his eyes welcomed sleep.

He slid off the bed quietly, not wanting to disturb the prince in slumber, and stealthily moved to the door. Said door creaked softly when he opened it, and he rolled his eyes at the sound, finding it amusing at the fact that every door in a castle had the same creaking sound. Silently he closed the door behind him as he stepped out and strolled down the hallway, idly wondering where he should go when he heard a whisper,

"Sneaking out in the middle of the night, Shibuya?"

Yuuri jumped at the sudden whisper and quickly turned to see Murata walking towards him, grinning widely in amusement at Yuuri's convulsive reaction. Yuuri scowled.

"That wasn't very nice of you, Murata. You could've given me a heart attack. What are you doing?"

"Saa... I couldn't sleep either. And this is the time for the moon to come out, not the sun." he vaguely mumbled, and Yuuri knitted his eyebrows in confusion. "What are you talking about?"

"Nothing." Murata grinned. "Do you want to walk to the balcony? I think it's nice to see the stars there. I wonder if we can see the milky way in this universe..."

"You are so random..." Yuuri muttered as he followed Murata's steps. Together, the two double black boys walked along the hallway to the castle's center balcony.

Once they stepped out, the chilly night air welcomed them, but none of them shivered at the slightest. Caloria's chilly night air was nothing compared to Japan's winter air, Yuuri thought idly as he moved closer to the edge of the balcony and leaned onto the railing. Murata casually stood next to him.

Yuuri looked up and smiled when the innumerable stars glancing back down at him, welcoming him with the brightest smiles.

"Beautiful, right?" Murata began, following Yuuri's gaze. "It's such a miracle that we're still able to come to this universe and have so many adventures."

"Aah..." Yuuri grinned. "Although not every adventure is fun..."

Murata chuckled. Silence engulfed them as the boys settled to watch the stars.

"Oi, Shibuya," the Daikenja paused, and then continued, "Before you came here, had you ever wondered what your life would be if you were a King? If you had days of adventures and people who would always protect you? Have you ever imagined something like that before you came here?"

"Huumm..." Yuuri looked thoughtful. "When I was still a little kid, I used to imagine myself being the charming prince on a white stallion who will save a beautiful princess from a kingdom." He grinned sheepishly. "But... imagining myself to have a life like we do now... really, it's just too out of reach for my imagination."

"Sou ka?" Murata muttered, a small smile playing on his lips. "Must be very interesting, right, Shibuya, if you were able to actually become the charming prince." His tone was teasing.

"Murata... that's not funny at all..." the Maou scowled.

Murata's eyes glinted. "What if you actually have a chance to be one, Shibuya?"

Yuuri eyed him incredulously. "I don't think there is a princess or damsel in distress around here, really."

"Actually, there is..." Murata mumbled, amused at Yuuri's naivety. Except that he isn't really a princess or a damsel in distress. But close enough, Murata added to himself. The Maou didn't seem to hear his earlier statement, though, because his eyes had strayed up to see the stars again.

After several seconds, Yuuri's head turned to him with mild interest. "Oi, Murata, have you actually ever imagine something like that?"

"Ah... not really." Murata smiled. "I've always been aware that I was the Daikenja, I didn't necessarily imagine a kingdom and adventures, Shibuya." He chuckled. "But yes, I did imagine lots of things."

"What kind of things?"

"Well," Murata began slowly. "I used to think about Shinou a lot... thinking about what would have been if he hadn't been possessed by Soushu... or what if I could find another way to free him without having him suffering under Soushu first..." the Daikenja laughed softly. "Mostly, I wondered what would've been if I could have been by his side forever."

"Just like now, isn't it?" Yuuri smiled. "It's no imagination, ne, Murata?"

Murata merely offered him a mysterious smile.

"You really care for him, don't you?" Yuuri sighed. "I guess it's nice to have someone worrying over you..."

"You have so many people fretting after you, Shibuya." Murata pointed out.

"True..." Yuuri chuckled. "And I'm happy. Really. It's just that... sometimes I wonder how it feels to actually fall for someone... you know..." A faint blush colored Yuuri's cheeks. "Gee... I can't believe I'm actually talking about this with you."

"That's what friends are for, Shibuya." Murata reassured him. "Wait, so you've never fallen in love before?"

"Nope." Yuuri answered casually.

"Not even with Von Bielefeld-kyo?"

"Wha--!" Yuuri spun to face Murata, stammered as words fell from his mouth without him realizing it. "I don't... I thought I told you that the whole engagement thing was an accident!! We're both boys, Murata! It's not like there isn't any other girl I can date or something like that! I really don't have any feelings other than friendship toward him, and you should know that because you're my best friend and-…"

"Whoa, Shibuya, calm down!!" Murata exclaimed, restraining his urge to laugh at Yuuri's flushed face and his panicked reaction. "There's no need to be so defensive, you know."

"I'm not!"

"Shush! You're going to wake the entire castle up."

Feeling embarrassed, Yuuri groaned and buried his face in his crossed arms as he leaned against the railings again. "Your fault." He muttered. Murata chuckled in amusement.

"So you don't have a thing for him?"

"Not any!" Yuuri growled. "We're both boys!"

"So are Shinou and I."

"Huh?" Yuuri's head snapped up. "What did you just say?"

Murata let out a laugh. "Shibuya, you're so amusing." He paused, and looked at Yuuri's slumped shoulders. "Hey, if you've never been in love, how do you know that you don't love someone?"

Yuuri's head raised up. "What?"

Murata smiled. "Experience is the best teacher, Shibuya." He let out a small yawn. "I'm sleepy. I guess I'll just head off to bed now. You'd better go back before anyone notices you're sneaking off." The Daikenja turned around and began to walk away, raising his right hand. "Oyasumi, Shibuya."

"Aah... oyasumi..." Yuuri replied as he watched his friend's back until said friend disappeared into the dark hallway.

Unbeknownst to Yuuri and Murata, a golden-haired prince was walking at a rapid pace back to his room after hearing the previous exclamation of the Maou.

"_I don't... I thought I told you that the whole engagement thing was an accident!! We're both boys, Murata! It's not like there isn't any other girl I can date or something like that! I really don't have any feelings other than friendship with him, and you should know that because you're my bestfriend and-…"_

The silent wind was the only witness to the two crystal tears slowly escaping shining emerald orbs in the midst of the darkness.

--o0o--

Conrad really didn't like the tension in Fuurin's study at this moment.

This morning, when he entered Fuurin's study, he had felt some kind of bad feelings hanging in the air as Gwendal proceeded to read aloud the reply letter from Black Dawn that had come early this morning, eyebrows twitching as he read along the lines. When the oldest son of Cecilie had finished reading the letter, Conrad felt like killing the leader of Black Dawn would be the best thing he could have ever done.

He gazed down at Yuuri, who sat across Fuurin, wearing a sheepish grin on his face. The half-mazoku prince could hear a small growl emitted from his younger brother who stood next to him.

"Umm..." Yuuri began hesitantly. "Well... that's one condition surely not hard to fulfill… right?"

Gwendal's intense glare quickly shut the Maou up, while Wolfram immediately exclaimed, "You wimp! There's no way we would let you go talk with the rebels alone!"

Unable to resist the urge to retort, Yuuri yelled back, "I wouldn't be alone! Fuurin-san will go with me!"

"The one more reason not to let you have any negotiations with rebels!" Wolfram snapped. "Although they said that their leader would go alone too, there a high possibility it's a trap!"

"Wolfram is right, Heika." Conrad said warily. "We can't trust them. We shouldn't agree with their terms."

Yuuri looked at his godfather with a pointed look. "They only ask for one term, Conrad, and it's a fair one. They asked me and Fuurin-san to come alone, and their leader—who's his name again? Isenbert, yeah... he will come by himself, too."

Gwendal's eyes twitched at his King's stubbornness. "Heika, you do know that Isenbert is a powerful thunder mazoku." He stated.

Yuuri turned to Gwendal, a determined look evident on his face. "I'm pretty sure that I'm now able to control my maryoku, Gwendal. Enough to protect myself..." he gestured to Fuurin. "And Fuurin-san, too. You guys can't continue to protect me all your lives, you know."

Gwendal was taken aback, but he quickly regained his composure. "We can't be certain if this isn't a trap."

Yuuri shrugged, and turned to Fuurin. "What do you say, Fuurin-san? Should we agree to this?"

Fuurin looked thoughtful for a moment, and then smiled.

"I would be happy to try, Heika."

"Then, it's decided!" Yuuri grinned. "We're going. Now, to decide the time and place of the negotiation... what about the day after tomorrow? Where do you think it should take place, Fuurin-san?"

Wolfram rolled his eyes, but Conrad could catch the glint of worry in his eyes. Sighing mentally, Conrad wondered why Yuuri had always been able to act like a King when it came to a dangerous decision like this one.

--o0o--

Caloria's Castle Library, noon time...

Gwendal's head raised when Conrad entered the library, noting that his brother's smile seemed a little bit off today. He gestured Conrad to sit next to him, and then bent down to read the book he had been previously occupied with. Conrad sat down, letting out a heavy sigh.

"A post bird came," he informed. "Günter said he would send Yozak once he finished with all the names in the list."

Gwendal nodded, still not raising his eyes from the book

"What are you reading?" Conrad decided to ask after several minutes of silence between them. Gwendal lifted the book slightly so Conrad could see the title. It was a book about curses.

Conrad nodded. "I might as well read some of them, too." He stood and walked to the nearest bookshelf, but Gwendal grunted, "Take a book from the bookshelf in that corner. I don't think the library in our castle has most of the books in that shelf."

Nodding again, Conrad moved to the shelf, taking a book and skimming through the pages, before bringing the book with him and sitting back in the chair.

While he browsed through the chapters of the book, he heard Gwendal said quietly, "How do you think he is now?"

Conrad smiled wryly. "I would be lying if I said that he's getting better." He replied. "This morning I saw him walking down the hallway, looking as if he could fall asleep any second."

Gwendal sighed. "And he's in a bad mood, too." He stated.

Conrad pursed his lips. "I have an urge to send him back to Blood Pledge castle," he chuckled lightly. "But he'll throw tantrums if we do that."

"We'd only have to finish this rebellion case quickly, so we can concentrate back to the task of removing the curse." Gwendal replied.

Silence fell heavily between the two brothers, filled by the sounds of pages of books being skipped.

"Did you try talk to him about... his feelings for Heika?" Gwendal continued, feeling uncomfortable to discuss the matter.

Conrad gave him a knowing and reassuring smile. "Aah. I did, actually... before we set out for Caloria," he paused. "However... he denied..." Conrad trailed off as the memory surge through his brain, reminding him of Wolfram's look of anger and dejection before his younger brother went back to the castle.

"What is it?" Gwendal carefully asked, noting the slight change of Conrad expression. The latter shook his head. "Nothing. Anyway, yes, he is getting worse. Do you think we would have enough time? I mean... even Geika and Shinou seem to be pessimistic about this..."

"Stop." Coming from Gwendal, it sounded like an order to Conrad, but the younger man could see a flash of denial in his brother's eyes. "We will have enough time."

Conrad closed his eyes and forced a smile. "Aah. I'm sorry."

Glancing at the clock, Gwendal rose to his feet. "I have an appointment with Geika now." He said, looking down at Conrad who was still closing his eyes. He could see how forced the smiled on his brother's face was, and all of a sudden he felt a strong urge to reassure that younger brother of his, even if he himself wasn't really sure.

Finding his hand moved on its own account, Gwendal couldn't help but to place it on Conrad's head, ruffling the brown locks slightly as he made his way past him. Conrad's eyes snapped open in disbelief at the unexpected gesture, exactly when he heard a soft, reassuring, yet firm voice stating,

"Everything will be fine."

Conrad let his jaw fall opened slightly as he watched the door close behind his brother's disappearing back.

A small, gentle smile crept on his face.

Feeling childish all of a sudden, Conrad shook his head and raised his hand to run it through his hair. His smile was getting slightly wider when he slowly mouthed the words that never came out louder than his breath.

"Arigatou, Aniue."

--o0o--

"Are you afraid, Fuurin-san?"

Fuurin shifted her gaze from the beautiful flower garden before her to the figure of the double black boy standing next to her, noting the slight hesitation on the boy's expression. She inhaled the fresh air deeply, glancing at the golden-haired figure standing not far behind them with a scowl on his face before asking back.

"Why did you ask such question suddenly, Yuuri-Heika?" she paused, and then decided to went on. "Are you?"

"To be honest... yeah..." Yuuri grinned sheepishly. "I'd be lying if I said I'm not afraid."

"I see..." Fuurin smiled. "What are you afraid of?"

"Well," Yuuri began, hesitation was clear on his face. "I… know that it would be dangerous to go there alone... and I'm aware that the possibilities Gwendal and Wolfram pointed out about all this things being a trap… and to be perfectly honest, I'm not entirely that sure about my ability to control my maryoku... or my skills at sword fighting, and Adelbert-san did said the Isenbert person was really skilfull, so..."

Fuurin wanted to laugh at the Maou's nervous rambling.

"You see, Yuuri-Heika," she said, enjoying the breezy wind playing with her light blue hair. "I have my fears too in this matter. Not only fears, but also hesitations, uncertainties, insecurities... and worries. If I'm to be killed in the negotiation... who'd take care of Caloria?" she turned to Yuuri and smiled. "I'm quite certain you have the same feelings, Yuuri-Heika. We, after all, have a country we love dearly. Our desire to do anything for the sake of our country is the same."

Fuurin wanted to glance back to see Wolfram's reaction, hoping that the prince wouldn't misunderstand her words, but Yuuri was laughing softly, and she heard a hint of relief in his voice.

"You know, Fuurin-san..." the Maou started again. "I'm still completely clueless about how to run a country properly." He paused, and added thoughtfully, "I have Günter and Gwendal to thank for their work, covering all my mistakes and running Shin Makoku while I'm back in my world, and helping me with things. I have Conrad to thank for everything he has taught me." Yuuri then lowered his voice until Fuurin could barely hear him and continued, "And I have Wolfram and Greta to thank for keeping me company when I'm in a bad mood."

As Yuuri chuckled, Fuurin noted a spark in the boy's softening black eyes.

"What I want to say, is…" Yuuri went on. "Although everyone says that I'm doing a good job as the Maou... but the truth is, really, I'm nothing. I'm not a good Maou at all, and I doubt I will ever be. I still have a long path to go if I want to be acknowledged as a proper Maou..." he glanced at Fuurin. "And I really hope that I won't be anyone's burden while I'm walking that path. And that would include you, too, Fuurin-san. I really hope I wouldn't be a burden to you."

Fuurin looked surprise. "Yuuri-Heika! No, of course you'll never be anyone's burden! Not me, not Caloria, not other countries, and surely not Shin Makoku and her people! Really..." she sighed. "You have to be more confident of yourself..."

"I am, actually," Yuuri grinned. "I just realize my limits, and I want to push myself further, passing those limits. I'll need lots and lots of help, though, so I hope you wouldn't mind. That's all."

Fuurin couldn't help but smile at that. "Yuuri-Heika," she said, choosing her words carefully. "I think you're a great Maou... please listen for a while," she said quickly when Yuuri opened his mouth to cut her off. "You see, Heika, there aren't many Kings in the world who could realize their own limits and bad points—something that every King and Queen should realize. It's a great step for you, and although you are now a great Maou already, I think you'll be a greater Maou in the future."

Yuuri flushed. "You think so?" he grinned sheepishly, and Fuurin laughed.

"Yes. And when that time comes, I'd like you to always help Caloria whenever we need you."

"Aah. Of course, Fuurin-san."

Wolfram closed his eyes, biting his lips. He wanted to shout angrily to Yuuri, accusing him of cheating, calling him wimp like usual and maybe punching him in the face for cheating so casually under his gaze, but all words were caught in his throat. He couldn't bring himself to shout at the double black boy, not after all the things he had said to Fuurin.

Of course he couldn't.

But he wished, with all his heart—despite of the exclamation he heard last night—that Yuuri would have told him about those feelings instead of telling Fuurin.

Because he wanted to understand Yuuri more...

...at least before he ran out of time.

--o0o--

_**Blood Pledge castle, Library, late at night...**_

The sound of a book being dropped and a chair toppled to the floor made Gisela raised her head in surprise, eyeing her shocked-looking father who had risen to his feet across the table.

"Father?" she carefully called, not wanting to start her father's dramatic side. "What is the matter?"

"I can't believe this..." Günter skipped through some pages of the two books he was previously occupied with. "I can't believe that my suspicions were actually correct..."

Gisela chose not to ask whatever it was her father was mumbling about, and merely settled to observe him.

Gunter pursed his lips. "I had a feeling that he's the one when Adelbert told us about him... but I didn't think... oh, Shinou... this is an unexpected fact!" he suddenly looked at Gisela, and said in a hushed voice. "Gisela, do me a favor, will you? Please summon Yozak for me. It's urgent."

"Well, you don't have to trouble yourself, Von Christ-kyo." A familiar voice made both Günter and Gisela turned to see the orange-haired man Günter was just talked about. Yozak grinned widely, although Gisela could see the alertness in his eyes. "What do you need of me?"

Günter hesitated. "I..."

"If this is about the selfish brat's curse, I know everything." Yozak lowered his voice. "Just tell me what to do."

Günter and Gisela exchanged puzzled looks. Gisela wanted to ask how did the soldier know, but then remembered that it was Yozak, and asking wouldn't give her proper answer.

Günter quickly wrote down something from the book he was reading, and folded it together with another paper that looked like a list to Gisela. He tucked them neatly into an envelope, and gave it to Yozak.

"Give this to Gwendal." Günter said, his face serious. "Tell him that Isenbert von Gottfried is the descendant of Mihael von Gottfried, the mazoku who cast the curse on Wolfram. Leave as soon as possible."

Yozak gave him a confident smile.

"I'm on my way."

--o0o--

t-b-c!!

--o0o--

--o0o--

A/N: Well, that wasn't a good chapter.. –sweatdrop- The hardest part is always opening the chapter.. I spent two days for that…

That's it for the fifth chapter. Yuuri kicked into actions! I enjoyed writing him so much, despite of his dense and naïve behavior. Haha. He's bound to be matured at any time now, anyway, and his personality had grown so much since the series began so I just couldn't help it!

I particularly love the brotherly fluff scene between Gwendal and Conrad. They're brothers, too, and although they are all matured already, there should be some part of them wanted to have attention, ne? Ehehe. Wolfram had enough of brotherly love and musings in the previous chapters, and there's more coming for him anyways.. but I still love him the most, though!

Saa, please review, neee!! Thank you for reading up to this point. Honestly, I could go nowhere without your support. Constructive criticisms are most welcomed, and flames are going to be used for the woodstove. It's almost spring but it's still freezing for me, so I need it. Yeah.. and there would be more actions coming for the next chapters..

Next Chapter: Yuuri, Fuurin and Isenbert.. and another scheming involving Greta…

A flower of love and gratitude for each of you, minna-san..

-isumi'kivic' and Ilde-


	6. The Unexpected

Title: Pride and Prejudice, a Maruma fic

Title: Pride and Prejudice, a Maruma fic.

Author: isumi'kivic'

Beta: Invikta and Mabs-Fantasy

Pairings: YuuriWolfram, of course. Hints of YozakConrad in this chapter, and possible other pairings in later chapters.

Warnings: I'm tired of saying—I mean typing—this. Just see previous chapters for warning.

Disclaimer: Nope, I don't own any single detail from Kyou Kara Maou. It is legally belong to Takabayashi Tomo and other respected owners. Jane Austen owns Pride and Prejudice. I own none, except for the plot and the OCs I make for the sake of this fic.

A/N: I'm sorry for the late update!! I've been REAALLYY busy this week—going to Montpelier with YES program, chorus concert, region drama festival in Rutland, state drama festival in St. Johnsbury, not to mention all those English homework and portfolios and book review, and I still had to memorize a poem, too... honestly, I can scarcely put my hand on the keyboard to type. But it's all worth it, hehe.

Thank you, minna-san.. everyone who had read, and to those who had reviewed the last chapter! I have to work harder!! –determined- So please, minna-san, read through this chapter and please, review once again, ne?

My deepest gratitude for Vivi-sama and Az-sama for beta-ing this, as usual. Thank you thank you thank you!! I'd never reach this point without both of you!!

This chapter is a birthday present for Aubrey. I hate you so much, Aubrey!! XD Thanks a lot for being my best friend while we're staying here for a year. When you got back to Philippines, you'd better never forget me, or I'm after your ass. Haha.

And Happy birthday, too, for my beloved petite seour. I hope you'll never forget your 'Oneesama'. Hahaha. I miss you a lot, little sister. Although we may not related by blood, but I do love you. Take care.

Also dedicated for every member of Asylum play, TVHS Drama Society and Thespians. Although we didn't make it to the New England, but at least for the first time in the school's history we made it to the state! Great job, everyone! I'm so very glad to have come here and I'm really proud to have meet you all.

Enough of my ramblings. Enjoy the sixth chapter, minna-san.

--o0o--

"You boys had a long journey together. All the people you helped along the way… all the hardships and pain of losing friends you loved… the determination, sweat, and blood. Don't you think that might have been the price you paid?"-Hikari no Hohenheim, Hagane no Renkinjutsushi-

For all cast and crews of Asylum play. I'm very proud to be placed in our school, to have meet you guys, and to be one of you. Those tears were no lies, and those reassuring words to each other weren't just tell-tales. Let's work hard and win the state together!

--o0o--

_**Pride and Prejudice**_

_**Chapter Six: The Unexpected**_

Conrad walked down the spiral stairs of Caloria Castle in a hurry. It was almost midnight, and he had been standing on the balcony just outside the Maou's room keeping guard, when he saw a figure on a horse riding towards the castle from afar, illuminated by the moonlight. Conrad could never mistake the glowing orange color of the figure's hair, and that was exactly why he had rushed down the stairs to welcome the figure.

He had just stepped out of the castle when he saw the figure dismount from his horse, allowing the night guards to examine him thoroughly before finally being allowed to enter the castle.

Conrad felt excitement and happiness and a smile rose to his face.

"Yozak."

"Captain!" Yozak grinned, raising his right hand and closing the distance between them in a few long strides. "You look good. I'm not late, I presume?"

"No. Just in time, actually. We're all going tomorrow for the negotiations with Black Dawn." Conrad gestured for Yozak to follow him into the castle. The two of them strode along the hallway of Caloria's Castle in quiet steps. It wasn't long until they arrived on the castle's flower garden and Conrad motioned for them to stop awhile.

"Did Günter find anything important about the list?" he asked.

Yozak fumbled with his pant pockets for a few seconds, and produced a small scroll of paper without any words. He handed it to Conrad. The latter quickly opened the scroll, eyes reading what had been inscribed on it hastily. His eyes grew wide.

"No way..."

"Really unexpected, right?" Yozak said, his tone casual, but Conrad could hear a strain in his voice. "Well, it's good, though. It will save us a lot of time. All we have to do now is deal with the rebellion, capture the leader, and question him about the…" Yozak waved his hand in a you-know-what-I'm-talking-about gesture.

Conrad nodded, rolling the paper back neatly. A small smile played on his lips. "It's an advantage for us. Two flies in one trap."

Yozak smirked. "Aah, but we have to be very careful. How's the situation here, anyway? Did Heika do something reckless again?"

Conrad playfully shot Yozak a silencing look. "You shouldn't talk like that about Heika."

"I'm pointing out the truth."

"Yozak."

"Hai, hai. Sorry." Yozak grinned. "It's just that you look really distressed, Captain. You need to relax a bit. There's no use in worrying too much."

"I am not." Conrad replied, offering Yozak a reassuring smile. Yozak gave him a pointed look, and Conrad let out a small laugh. Somewhat, Yozak's presence had always made him felt safer and more secure, not to mention also gave him a reassuring aura that everything would work out in the end.

Only Yozak had such aura, and it seemed to be the only reassuring aura that worked well on Conrad.

A few moments of silence passed between the two.

"You're worried," Yozak's tone was soft, something Conrad rarely heard, and he had a feeling that the tone was reserved only for him. Conrad nodded slowly.

"Is that brat getting worse?"

"You can say so." Conrad sighed. "I hope we can find a way to remove it before we run out of time."

Yozak turned to face his captain, and examined his expression thoroughly.

"You've barely rested since this whole complicated case started, haven't you?" Conrad knew coming from Yozak, it was a statement, not a question. Conrad heard his companion sigh in exasperation. "Gee... Captain, what should I do about you..."

"Yozak…" Conrad began, but Yozak interjected. "You should know that you have people who worry about you easily, Captain. I know that this whole curse thing is something we have to take seriously, but you still have to think about yourself. No one would be happy if you broke down under the pressure."

Conrad smiled. Closing his eyes, he muttered softly, "At least, when it happens, I'll still have you to watch my back."

Yozak turned to him, shooting him an incredulous look. "Stop being so selfish." His voice was restrained. "You can't expect me to always be there when you need me."

Conrad was taken aback. He turned to meet Yozak's eyes, and saw they were full of emotions. Smiling softly, Conrad closed his eyes. His hand reached for the orange-haired man's hand, intertwining their fingers together, and Conrad opened his eyes, giving Yozak an apologetic look.

"I'm sorry to make you worried."

Yozak's eyes softened. He closed his eyes for a second, and sighed audibly. "You're really difficult, Captain. I don't understand why people see you as an easy man to deal with."

Conrad merely smiled. "I think being difficult is a trait that runs in our family's blood." He joked. Yozak let out a small laugh as Conrad continued, "Besides, no one really minds about us being difficult."

"Oh? You're so confident about it." Yozak taunted. Conrad smirked.

"Because I have someone I can trust my life with watching my back." He answered back. Yozak chuckled.

"Just make sure you can take care of yourself, Captain. I don't want my prize to be broken before I'm even able to enjoy it."

--o0o--

Brünnhilde Forest was located on the borders of Caloria and Shou Shimaron, a thick, dark, and dangerous forest that people tend to avoid if they had to pass the border. If one wanted to cross the border, taking a path through the forest was a much faster way than following the path that circled the hill. But people chose the circling path of the hill because Brünnhilde Forest was famous for its dangerous myth and stories.

It was exactly why Black Dawn had chosen the forest as the place to negotiate with Caloria and Shin Makoku.

The sun wasn't shining as bright as usual when Yuuri and his group—including Fuurin and his guardians, and of course, Yozak who joined them this morning—halted at the very edge of Brünnhilde Forest. The trees were getting taller and thicker as they went on, so finally Gwendal shouted over to them to stop and prepare for the negotiations.

Wolfram kept a scowl on his face as he watched Yuuri examine Morgif as if he were a knight. He turned to Murata and spoke through gritted teeth, "Why don't you do something to stop him? You're his best friend!"

"And you're his fiancé." Murata replied casually, but amusement shone in his eyes. "Why don't you try to speak to him? Maybe he'd listen to you."

There was a flash of dejection on Wolfram's face that made Murata almost regret bringing the topic up. Sighing, the Daikenja shook his head. "You know, Von Bielefeld-kyo, I think I need to talk to you."

Wolfram shot him an incredulous look. "What?" he half-snapped.

"Ah, it would be good if you will listen to me without throwing a fit." Murata chuckled. "Maybe next time. Remember, Von Bielefeld-kyo, it would be good if you told him how much you love him. Shibuya is too dense for his own good, and besides, it's not every time actions speaks louder than words. There are things actions can't describe better than words do."

Wolfram was taken aback. He shot the Daikenja an accusing look that Murata interpreted as, "Don't act like you really know what's happening between him and I!" before stomping away to talk to Gwendal who was talking to Yuuri.

Murata let out an audible sigh. Shinou... this task is really troublesome...

--o0o--

Yuuri's eyes narrowed.

"No." he refused stubbornly. "No, no, no, no! It wouldn't be fair! We've agreed to the condition! You can't go, Wolfram!"

Wolfram's emerald eyes shot him a silencing look. "Yuuri, you're too naïve! It's so clear that this is a trap! Are you expecting me to just stay behind and wait around for you to come back mortally wounded?! Or worse, as a corpse?!"

Yuuri flinched at the blonde's choice of words, but was reluctant to give up. "You can't go!" he yelled back. "We're the ones who offered to negotiate, so that's why we have to follow the conditions they gave us! If you came, they might misunderstand the whole situation and everything could get worse!"

Wolfram only glared at him, and turned back to Gwendal. "Aniue! I insist on guarding Yuuri. If there's anyone who should go with him, it's me, because I am his fiancé! I'm not letting him go."

"It's too late for that now, Von Bielefeld-kyo." Murata chimed in, obviously in Yuuri's side. "We only have fifteen minutes, and Shibuya and Fuurin-san should go."

Wolfram shifted his glare to fix it permanently on the Daikenja. Murata only shrugged.

"Aniue!" Wolfram turned back to Gwendal again, looking directly into his brother's eyes. "I insist!"

Gwendal's eyes twitched in irritation, and finally growled lowly so that only Wolfram and himself could hear, "Do you think I will let my younger brother go to face such danger in the condition you're in? When either Conrad or I could go instead? No, Wolfram, and that is final!"

Wolfram's eyes widened in shock. He quickly glanced up to catch Gwendal's eyes, but his older brother ignored him. Instead Gwendal stared at the Maou, "Heika, at least take either Conrad or I to escort you."

Yuuri sighed tiredly. "We went through this yesterday already…" he mumbled in exasperation at the brothers' stubbornness. Making up his mind, he finally stated, "No one goes with me except Fuurin-san to this negotiation. That's an order."

Almost instantly, Gwendal's eyes narrowed, Conrad protested, "Heika!" and Wolfram yelled, "You wimp!"

Murata chuckled. "That settles it."

"Yuuri!" Wolfram protested, seizing Yuuri's arm. "Isenbert... that person is dangerous! You wouldn't be able to face him alone, much less protect the Lady of Caloria!"

Yuuri's eyebrows rose in annoyance at Wolfram's bluntness, but before he could even open his mouth to retort, Murata cut him off, aiming his words at Wolfram, "If you do love Shibuya, Von Bielefeld-kyo, you should have more faith in him, don't you think?"

Silence followed the Daikenja's words. Yuuri's mouth hung open at the statement. Fuurin clasped a hand in front of her mouth in surprise. Wolfram's face immediately turned to an interesting shade of red. He hastily let go of Yuuri's arm.

"I'm not-...!" he stammered as he backed several steps away from Yuuri. Feeling everyone's eyes on him, he flushed deeper. Unable to retort to Murata's statement, he settled in glaring at everyone, especially Murata, and scowled.

"Hmph! Fine! Do as you wish! Blame yourself if you get killed!" he retorted harshly at Yuuri, who was still looking back and forth from him to Murata in disbelief. Gwendal gave his younger brother a warning look at his behavior, but the blonde mazoku prince turned his face away.

Fuurin chuckled, and put a hand on Yuuri's shoulder. "Shall we go, then, Yuuri-Heika?"

Yuuri smiled unsurely. "Uhm... Ah, I think so. We'll be back in a little while, everyone!"

With that, the Maou and the Queen of Caloria made their way to the path that went through the Brünnhilde Forest. Everyone behind them watched until the two of them disappeared into the darkness and shadows of the forest.

Gwendal let out an audible sigh, and turned to Conrad, nodding. Conrad caught the gesture, and turned to Yozak. Giving him a reassuring smile, Yozak nodded, and leapt into the dark, thick trees around them, no doubt to follow the Maou.

Wolfram pursed his lips in a mix of emotions. Anger, disappointment, guilt, worry, sadness, jealousy, and so much more emotions swirled in the back of his head, overwhelming him with a sudden exhaustion. The blonde blinked his eyes as he realized the familiar sleepy feeling engulf him. No matter how much rest he took nowadays, it seemed that the sleepiness refused to go away.

Oh, no, Wolfram wasn't stupid. He knew it was the curse. But he refused to surrender to it.

When he raised his head, he caught the worried glance Conrad sent him. He scowled, and returned the glance with a prideful glare. He was stronger than this. He wouldn't lose to this stupid curse. Not when they were about to get closer to the descendant of the person who cast the curse on him.

But no one realized that somewhere, in a place that was dear to them, a wicked scheme was about to begin.

--o0o--

Doria hummed lightly as she strolled along the town road. Both her hands were holding two paper bags full of groceries. Behind her, Lasagna followed, her right hand was also holding a paper bag full of groceries, while her left hand was holding the small, delicate hand of the Princess of Blood Pledge Castle. Said princess skipped along happily beside her, pausing to say hello to the people who bowed respectfully to her, and waving at the kids who waved from where they were playing.

"Good afternoon, Hime-sama!" an old man stopped to greet the princess happily. "Hime-sama certainly looks very beautiful today..."

Greta giggled childishly, her cheeks slightly pink because of the praise she just received. "Thank you, Ojiisan!" she replied between her giggles. "Good afternoon to you, too!"

Lasagna smiled when they continued walking. "Waah... Hime-sama is very famous now, ne, Doria?"

"Of course!" Doria slowed down to walk beside the little princess now. "How could anybody ignore the beautiful Hime-sama? Look at her pretty brown hair, and her cute, chubby cheeks, and not to mention, her radiant smile that makes everyone happy to see it!"

Greta giggled, blushing childishly. "Unngg... Doriaa!" she whined cutely. "Greta's cheeks aren't chubby!"

"Oh yes, they are, Hime-sama." Doria teased, laughing at the childish reaction. "They are what makes you look so cute!"

Greta shook her head. "Greta doesn't want to be cute," she said, nodding to herself. "Greta wants to be beautiful! Like..."

"Like whom?" Lasagna cut her. "Like Gisela-san?"

Greta shook her head and grinned. "No, no! Gisela-san is beautiful, but Greta wants to be more beautiful than her!"

"Like me, then?" Doria chimed in, and Lasagna instantly hit her head. Greta laughed. "Umm... more, more beautiful!"

"Then, like Celi-sama?" Lasagna guessed. Greta tapped her chin, looking thoughtful, closing her eyes, and finally shook her head. "No, no! There's someone more beautiful than Celi-sama! Guess who?"

"Maybe Julia-san, then?"

"Uhmm... Julia-san is beautiful, but not that kind of beautiful..." Greta hesitated, and then nodded. "No! Greta doesn't want to grow her hair as long as Julia-san did!"

"Then, who?" Doria asked. "It's not Lasagna, of course?" her statement earned her another hit on the head from her friend. Lasagna shot her an annoyed look, before turning to the giggling princess. "Who is it, then, Hime-sama?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Greta exclaimed. "Like Wolfram!"

"Eh?" Doria and Lasagna's eyes widened in surprise. "Wolfram-sama?"

Greta nodded spiritedly. "Yes! Like Wolfram! Because, because Wolfram is Greta's father, so Greta can be as beautiful as Wolfram! Ne, Lasagna? Doria?" she grinned.

Lasagna smiled as she exchanged meaningful look with Doria. "Now that Hime-sama mentions it… Wolfram-sama is certainly beautiful... in his own way. Right, Doria?"

Her friend nodded thoughtfully. "He inherited Celi-sama's beauty… and I heard the rumors saying that his father, too, was very beautiful. How do you say it..." Doria's eyes lit up. "Ah! Yes, a bishounen!"

Lasagna giggled. "Exactly!"

As the two continued their discussions on bishounen, Greta's eyes strayed towards an alleyway they were passing. There, in the darkness of the alleyway, she saw a dark figure in dirty, filthy robe, sitting down in exhaustion, his head hung and his dark hair covered his face. Greta squinted her eyes to get a good look, and suddenly let out a small gasp.

She could see blood pooled around the figure.

Out of curiosity and pity, the little princess stopped in her track and let go of Lasagna's hand. Lasagna and Doria stopped in surprise. "Hime-sama?"

Greta turned, gesturing the maids towards the figure in the alleyway they had just passed. "That person... is wounded…"

"Eh?" Lasagna and Doria blinked in uncertainty. Slowly they followed Greta back to the alleyway. The little princess stepped closer to the figure, her expression worried. The maids followed suit right behind her. "Ojiisan?" she called, crouching down in front of the figure. "Ojiisan, are you okay?"

Slowly, the figure raised his head, his dull, gray eyes met Greta's warm, brown ones. Greta let out a pitying sigh.

"Ojiisan, you're bleeding," Greta gestured to the blood pooling on the figure's feet. "Are you okay?"

The person only stared at Greta with his dull eyes. Greta blinked, confused. "Ojiisan? Can you hear me?" she stared back at the gray orbs.

And lost.

"Hime-sama?" Lasagna called. "Maybe he can't hear you... we should head back to the castle. After that, we can go back here to help him. What do you think?"

Slowly, Greta shook her head. "No..."

"Hime-sama?" Doria knitted her eyebrows. Was it just her, or was the princess' voice sounded hollow and dull? "If we don't go now, we'll be late and Günter-sama would worry..."

"No…" Greta's voice was barely audible. "No…"

"Hime-sama?" Doria and Lasagna looked at each other worriedly. "What is..."

Before they even finished the question, all of a sudden, Greta's body swayed forward and slumped onto the person before her. Doria and Lasagna gave a loud, shocked yell, as the person swiftly grabbed the unconscious princess and rose to his feet. He raised his hand and began to chant and suddenly, a wave of water rushed towards the two panicking maids, who let out a shriek of panic and fear, before their bodies were slammed into the wall by force of water.

"What…" Lasagna mumbled weakly as pain racked her body. Her vision was blurred, but she still could make out her surroundings as the water subsided. Neither the strange man nor their unconscious little princess was anywhere to be found.

As she heard people running towards them, and shouting things she couldn't comprehend, she felt her head grow heavier and heavier, and her vision gradually darkened. An image of a giggling princess flashed in her mind, and just as she surrendered completely to the darkness, she murmured the last thing that came to her mind,

"Hime…sama…"

--o0o--

**Brünnhilde Forest…**

Yuuri and Fuurin kept walking following the path they took through the thick trees and bushes. Although Yuuri was sure it was midday already, there were only small amount of sun rays that passed through the thick branches and leaves and, to be honest, it made Yuuri's stomach tighten in weird such way.

Inhaling deeply, Yuuri rested his hand on Morgif strapped to his waist, who had been giving soft hums and whines since they started walking minutes ago. Or was it hours ago? Yuuri wondered. He pursed his lips, unconsciously gripping Morgif. The demon sword, no matter how annoying it was, had always been able to give Yuuri some sort of secure feeling, knowing that he wasn't powerless. Although Yuuri could barely use Morgif properly, at least the Maou knew that the sword would be useful in defending himself in any situation.

Fuurin's sudden halt surprised Yuuri, but when saw the Lady of Caloria's eyes narrowing, Yuuri was instantly on high alert. Cautiously, he examined his surroundings thoroughly, eyeing each trees and bushes around them, trying to feel someone—anyone's presence.

And sure enough, he could feel someone watching him from somewhere hidden.

"Fuurin-san..." he said quietly, nervous evident in his tone. "Do you…"

Fuurin nodded slowly. "He must be around here somewhere." She looked around, hand resting on her sword. Morgif started to let out a loud "Ooooh!!" and whined worriedly.

Pursing his lips, Yuuri summoned his courage. Tightening his grip on Morgif, he managed to shout without voice shaking, "Isenbert! We know you're here! Show yourself!"

There was no reply, so Yuuri continued, "We come alone! We can't talk if you don't get out of your hiding, now can we?!"

After several seconds that felt like centuries for Yuuri, a noise came from the top of the tree not far from them. Yuuri and Fuurin immediately looked up, and sure enough, up there, a man stood proudly, gazing down at the Maou and the Lady of Caloria.

"So you came." He stated. Yuuri and Fuurin took a step back in reflex as the person jumped down from the trees, his robe flapped gracefully when he landed on the ground. He gave a smirk. "A pleasure to meet you."

Yuuri eyed the person from head to toe, engraving him in his memory in an instant. The man's silver hair draped elegantly over his shoulder down to his back, looking silky, reminding Yuuri of Günter's hair. He was quite handsome, Yuuri had to admit, with a strong face and jaw. His eyes were bright, startling purple, something Yuuri found really odd, even among the mazoku. There was a long scar on his left cheek that went on down to his neck, ending just before his collarbone.

Fuurin bravely took a step forward. "Isenbert, I presume?" she said. "As the condition we agreed upon, we came alone. I'm Fuurin Gibit, Lady of Caloria. And this..."

"The Maou. Yes, I know you." The purple eyes glinted at Yuuri. "I know you very well."

Yuuri's eyebrows quirked in confusion. "Sorry... but…I don't recall meeting you before…"

Isenbert let out a chuckle, but to Yuuri, it sounded like an evil laugh. "Ah, Maou-Heika. There is no mazoku or human who doesn't know you. Especially us, Black Dawn." He smirked. "For your kingdom is our biggest target."

Yuuri's eyes narrowed. "What do you mean?"

"It seems that I have to straighten things up first." Isenbert went on, slowly closing the distance between him and the two nobles. "First of all, the reason I had agreed to 'talk' is not because I want a negotiation."

Both Yuuri and Fuurin took a step back in alarm. Isenbert smirked.

"I really do wonder how could both of you come here without any of your guardians." He said, looking satisfied. "Surely you know that this is a trap?"

Yuuri's hand clenched in a fist. Everyone had been right. It was a trap.

But he chose to believe there was still hope for peace.

"Why are you attacking innocent people?" Yuuri spoke, managing to keep any trace of shaking out of his tone. "What exactly are you trying to do?"

"Ah, but I thought the Queen of Caloria had managed to pry the information from my subordinates she had captured?" Isenbert replied calmly.

Fuurin's eyes narrowed deeper. "I'm quite certain that uniting all countries under one nation is not exactly what you planned."

Isenbert smirked. "As expected of the Queen of Caloria." He let out a small laugh. "Though it's part of the plan, actually. Since both of you are going to be the sacrifices, I'm willing to reveal my plan."

Yuuri's eyes widened in surprise. "Sacri...fices?"

Standing four steps before Yuuri and Fuurin, Isenbert smirked mysteriously.

"Tell me, Maou-Heika. Have you ever heard of the Immortal Land?"

"Immortal Land?" Yuuri's expression turned into a confused one. He turned to Fuurin, but instead of knowing expression he usually found on Fuurin's face, confusion shone brightly on her face.

"Yes, Immortal Land. A small land containing so much maryoku and power that it could give a person enough power to surpass Soushu..." Isenbert paused slightly, clearly enjoying himself. "...and grant the person immortality."

Fuurin covered her mouth in shock, and Yuuri let out a soft gasp.

"Such a thing... exists?"

"Oh, yes, it definitely does." Isenbert laughed. "The problem is, the Immortal Land doesn't exist in this dimension. There's only one portal leading to the land, and the portal was hidden..." this time, Isenbert locked his purple eyes with Yuuri's black ones. "…right on the hill behind Blood Pledge Castle, where Shinou had first proclaimed Shin Makoku as his country."

"What…?" Yuuri's breath was caught in his throat. "Such thing… impossible... there's no portal..."

"It's invisible, of course." Isenbert ignored him and continued talking. "In order to make it visible, you need to perform a certain incantation. It's no problem for me, for I had obtained the scroll of the incantation before I even built my small kingdom, Black Dawn.

"But the problem is, to open the portal, I must unite all the countries in this universe under one nation, and make myself their king, for the portal would only open to the one who ruled all mazoku and human. Not only that, the ritual also requires me to sacrifice the lives of all the ex-ruler of the kingdoms and countries I have taken over, as a proof that I have, indeed, taken over their kingdoms."

Isenbert paused for a second, his expression was one of the devil. "And thus, for that purpose, Black Dawn was formed. For that sole purpose, I will have both of you as sacrifices!"

Fuurin gritted her teeth. This man is insane, she thought. Next to her, Yuuri was starting to shake with anger.

"How could you?!" the Maou shouted. "For your own selfishness, for your own pleasure, you will ruin everyone's lives?!"

The irritating smirk on Isenbert's face didn't disappear. "Ah, my apologies, Heika. It seems that I have offended you."

"You..." Yuuri growled between his gritted teeth.

Closing his eyes, Isenbert looked thoughtful for a moment. "I guess I have no choice, then. I assume both of you won't willingly follow me, now would you?"

"We would never!" Fuurin retorted.

"Then, I guess, I have to have my way by force. But first," Isenbert looked up to the trees around them. "Let me get rid of the nuisance."

Isenbert raised his hand, murmured an incantation, and snapped his fingers. Almost instantly, a rough growl was heard form on top of a tree, making Yuuri and Fuurin's head snap up in time to see a familiar orange-headed figure fall down from the branches towards the ground. Before the figure even reached the ground, Isenbert snapped his finger again, and the figure was suddenly hurled back by a wind and slammed against a huge tree before slumping against it to the ground.

Yuuri's eyes widened. "Yozak?!"

Isenbert let out a laugh. "Judging by the surprised tone in your voice, Maou-heika, you didn't seem to know that he was following you. How disappointing. I thought Maou-heika would never break his promise. Yet, you didn't come alone."

Yozak glared at Isenbert from under the tree. For several moments, he struggled to move any part of his body, but his effort ended in pain. He growled in exasperation.

"Don't bother. I cast a spell to freeze your body. You won't be able to move." Isenbert said nonchalantly to the orange-haired man before turning his attention to the Maou and Fuurin. A predatory grin crept up his face as Yuuri and Fuurin stepped back.

Yuuri drew out Morgif and took a defensive stance in front of Fuurin, but it only made Isenbert's grin wider.

"Let's play." He mocked. In the second that his lips moved and his fingers snapped, Yuuri suddenly found his whole body frozen. Raising his eyes to meet Isenbert, he glared and realized one thing,

This Isenbert man was also a magician.

"You will put up another fight later if I don't immobilize you right now." Isenbert drew out his sword. "I wonder, should I sever you feet, then, Maou-heika? You would be much easier to handle if I do."

"I won't let you!" Fuurin rushed forward, drawing out her own sword and charged towards Isenbert. But the man easily dodged her attack and threw her far to one side, slamming her against a tree trunk. She looked up weakly, trying not to lose her consciousness.

"Fuu...rin-san…" Yuuri hissed through his gritted teeth. Isenbert let out a loud, maniacal laugh.

"No one will be able to help you now, Maou–heika." He smiled at Yuuri coldly. "Now, let's see..." he traced Yuuri's arm, who was still pointing Morgif at Isenbert, with his sword in an almost loving manner. "Such brave hands... to point the great demon sword at me... it's such a waste to cut them away... but I have no choice..."

Isenbert raised his sword, his purple eyes glinted. "Thank you for making my mission easier, Maou-heika."

Fuurin shuddered as she tried to get up. "Yuuri... heika…"

Yuuri wanted to close his eyes, but even his eyelids couldn't move as Isenbert swung his sword down, ready to cut off his arm…

"Get away from my fiancé!!"

The sudden, familiar shriek, followed by a fireball passing by Yuuri's shoulder, aimed perfectly for Isenbert's face successfully made the silver-haired man jumped back several steps away from Yuuri. Relief surged through Yuuri's whole being. Without glancing towards the source of the shout and the fireball, he could already guess who had just saved his arm.

"Wolfram..."

Wolfram von Bielefeld rushed forward and stood in front of Yuuri, his sword ready in a defensive stance. Eyeing Yuuri, the blonde made an annoyed noise. "This is what happens if you don't listen to Aniue, or me, or Weller-kyo!"

If he were able to move at all, Yuuri would have jumped to hug Wolfram with gratitude and kissed him square on the lips—wait, did he just think that?!

Yuuri could feel heat rise up to his face.

Isenbert narrowed his eyes. "How come?! I didn't feel your presence..."

Wolfram snorted. "You were too preoccupied with Yozak's presence to notice mine, that's all." He moved cautiously until he stood next to Yuuri and touched his shoulder. A green light glowed from his hand, giving a surge of warmth throughout Yuuri's entire body, and suddenly, Yuuri could move again.

"Wolfram..." he started, but Wolfram interjected, "We have no time to talk! Listen up, Yuuri! This person is strong, probably much stronger than I am..." Yuuri's eyes widened at this. Wolfram... admitted someone was stronger than him?

"…now, I'm going to distract him. You go and heal Yozak and free him from the spell. This spell is just a simple one, you'll be able to break it with your healing maryoku. If we can free Yozak, then we'll be able to at least run away from here. Understand?! Go!"

A push from his fiancé—no, Wolfram—was all Yuuri needed to run towards Yozak. Growling angrily, Isenbert charged towards the Maou, but Wolfram quickly blocked his attack using all his skill to drive the man away from Yuuri and Yozak.

Yuuri wasted no time as he knelt next to Yozak and put his hand on the man's shoulder. The glowing green appeared instantly, and Yozak gradually tried to move parts of his body—first legs, and fingers, and arms...

"Argh!!"

The sound of sword being knocked away and someone being slammed onto a tree startled Yuuri. He looked up, finding Wolfram on his stomach under a tree, trying to get up while Isenbert pointed his sword to him.

"Wolfram!" Yuuri shouted, and in an instant, Yozak charged towards Isenbert, attacking the man with equal force, if not more. Isenbert gritted his teeth as he retaliated, colliding his sword with Yozak's.

"Wolfram! Are you okay?!" Yuuri rushed towards Wolfram. The blonde blinked, cursing himself and the sleepiness that almost overcame him when he attacked Isenbert. He looked up to see Yozak jumped back and stood before him and Yuuri.

Isenbert made an irritated noise, raised his hand and chanted, "Hear me all particles who dwell in thunder..."

Wolfram's eyes widened.

"Hear me all particles who dwell in fire!" he shouted, and almost instantly, a wall of fire formed above their heads, colliding with the coming thunder Isenbert sent, making an earsplitting blast, and the three of them covered their heads as the fire wall exploded, disappearing altogether with the thunder.

"No!" Yuuri could hear Fuurin's panic shriek. "Yuuri-heika!! Help!"

"Fuurin-san!" Yuuri shouted, raising his head in time to see Isenbert grabbed Fuurin's body and fled. Yozak growled. "Damn! I forgot about Lady of Caloria!" he rose to his feet to charge after Isenbert, but Wolfram pulled him back immediately. Irritated, Yozak turned.

"What? Don't you see…!"

"Yuuri..." Wolfram whispered, and Yozak instantly went silent. The Maou's body was glowing blue with his maryoku, and his hair grew longer, indicating that his alter ego was taking over his body.

Raising to his feet, Yuuri's voice boomed, "In order to serve your selfish purpose, you attacked innocents, and involved those who have dreams. Your cowardice and lies told to those who believed you has thrown you to the lowest of all beings." At this, three water dragons rose from behind the Maou, lifting him high and charged after Isenbert at once.

"Yuuri!" Wolfram exclaimed and rushed forward, chasing the water dragons. Yozak groaned and followed suit. The dragons quickly blocked Isenbert's path, glowering at the silver-haired man. Isenbert gritted his teeth.

"I do not tolerate violence, but I have no choice." The Maou said loudly. "I shall teach you justice!"

The dragons rushed towards the silver-haired man. At once, Isenbert dropped Fuurin and chanted quickly, but it was too late. The dragons crashed into him, releasing a painful shriek from the man as he slammed into a tree.

"Thus justice be done." The Maou said calmly as the dragons ceased, bringing him back to the ground. As soon as his feet touched the ground, his hair shortened, and Yuuri gave a gasp before staggering backwards. Wolfram caught him. "Yuuri!"

"I'm okay..." Yuuri breathed tiredly. "Fuu...rin-san..." his eyes darted to Fuurin, who was still sitting on the ground near them, unmoving, looking shocked, tears rolling on her cheeks. Yuuri slowly moved towards her.

"Fuurin-san...?" he called, kneeling before the Lady of Caloria, trying his best not to surrender to the exhaustion. "Are you all right?"

Fuurin slowly raised her eyes to meet Yuuri's concerned black ones.

In an instant, she burst into tears, pulling Yuuri down and hugged him fiercely in her fear. Yuuri was startled, but somehow, he understood the gesture. Fuurin sobbed like a child who had just found her father, fear and relief evident in every sob. Slowly, Yuuri embraced her back, patting her back.

"Yuuri!!" Wolfram's accusing shout was what he had expected, but this time, Yuuri turned to his fiancé and gave him a tired, pleading look, hoping Wolfram would understand.

Wolfram was startled at Yuuri's look. Unconsciously, he stepped back, lowering his eyes. Pursing his lips, he felt sadness, jealousy, and many other emotions he couldn't even describe fill his chest, making his breath catch in his throat.

Yuuri... why...?

"Heika! Yozak! Wolfram!!"

Conrad's familiar voice snapped Wolfram's head up. Turning around, he saw his panic stricken brothers rushed forward.

"Shiibuya!" Murata exclaimed. "The water dragons just now..."

"It's over." Yozak was the one who answered. Looking at the Maou, who was still hugging the sobbing Fuurin, Conrad and Gwendal exchanged wary glances before shifting their eyes to Wolfram.

"The wimp managed to beat that Isenbert guy..." Wolfram gestured to the tree Isenbert was slammed onto, but then froze.

There was no Isenbert there. The only thing left was the black robe the silver-haired man had wore. Cautiously, Conrad strolled over to take the robe. When he lifted it, a piece of paper fall.

Conrad's eyes narrowed. "What..." he took the piece of paper and realized it was a note. He read the four words written in there, and instantly, his insides grew cold. His eyes widened in shock.

"What is it, Conrad?" Gwendal walked over, taking the note from his hand. Reading the words, his eyes went wide in shock, but just as quickly the shock was replaced by burning anger.

"Aniue?" Wolfram called, sensing the tense atmosphere. Gritting his teeth, Gwendal crumpled the paper in his fist, clenching it so tight that Wolfram noticed the veins on his hands pop.

"Gwendal?" Yuuri turned to him.

In a quiet, almost growling, voice, Gwendal said, "It says, 'We have your princess.'"

Neither Yuuri nor Wolfram could describe what they felt the moment those words registered in their minds.

--o0o--

tbc

--o0o--

A/N: Don't you just hate a cliffhanger? –cackles- I'll try not to be so late on updating the next chapter. Promise! I'll try harder!

By the way, Brünnhilde is a name I took from the German epic. In Norse mythology and Wagner's "Ring" Cycle, she's a shieldmaiden, a valkyrie. In Nibelungenlied, she is the queen of Iseland (Iceland). But to be honest, I actually snatched this name because I'm in no mood of browsing more Germany names.. too tired. And I snatched in from the anime Soukyuu no Fafner—Brünnhilde is the name of the system where Tsubaki serves as its core. Yes, I am drowned in the kawaiiness of Soukyuu no Fafner and SoushiKazuki… again. XD

Oh, and 'Ojiisan' in Japanese means pretty much like 'uncle'. It's the way most people greet the older man they don't know (or barely know)… or so I think. Greta is a good child, so she would treat anybody with respect. Ahaha.

Anyways, that's for the sixth chapter. Thank you for reading thus far, and please review? -puppy eyes- Reviews always give you the spirit to write.. ne? XP Constructive Criticisms are most welcomed. Flames, too, although I wouldn't pay any attention to it, so it might waste your time to type one. XD

Next Chapter: The wall of defense slowly crumbled, but his pride still stood high.

Till next chapter, then!

-isumi'kivic' and Ilde-


	7. Crumbling

Title: Pride and Prejudice

Title: Pride and Prejudice, a Maruma fic.

Author: isumi'kivic'

Beta: Invikta and Mabs-fantasy

Pairings: Mainly YuuriWolfram, a couple of YozakConrad, GwendalGunter… possibly other pairings in later chapters.

Warnings: Shounen-ai, yaoi, BL, boys love… whatever you want to call it. OOC-ness, too, of course. You've been warned!

Disclaimer: Kyou Kara Ma-Ou belongs to Takabayashi Tomo-sensei and other respective owners. Pride and Prejudice belongs to Jane Austen… but I do own all the OCs and the plot, though..

A/N: WARNING!! My Author Notes this chapter have SPOILERS of the first two episodes of the third season, so if you don't want to know any SPOILERS, please skip the italicized part, ne?

_The third season is freaking AMAZING. They started with the relationship between Wolfram and Yuuri! And they even give the fourth episode's title "Greta to Yuuram"! –bouncebouncehappy!- I went hysterical after watching Wolfram broke the engagement in the second episode, and practically couldn't wait to watch the third.. and the fourth, of course. I'm starting to think that Bear Bees are a definite part of the Royal Family. Okay, maybe Yuuram is not a real Bear Bee, but still!! And I'm really, really glad that the Royal Engagement wasn't annulled (is that even the right word?). Or is it? Yuuri ran away before reannouncing the engagement… And Miko is a genius for giving Wolfram the pink dress (despite my nature to hate pink, but everything Wolfram wears is always beautiful..-sighs)._

_Not to mention all the brotherly affections in episode one.. (and motherly affections from Cecilie, too!), I practically jumped out of the computer chair in the library and let out a restrained squeal. Gwendal's expression when he apologized to Wolfram was just PRICELESS! And when Conrad caught Wolfram from the horse.. –faints- And Cecilie looked really worried, too. It was just PRECIOUS to be treasured in my memory. Madhouse really kick this season into the action from the very beginning. Can't wait to watch the fifth episode.._

Gyaaaah… gomennasai about the previous ramblings, Minna-san. I just had to get it out of my chest before I explode. No one around me loves to watch Kyou Kara Ma-Ou, so I can't just ramble to anyone—they wouldn't even understand the kawaiiness that is Maruma.. –sighs-

Minna-san, doumo arigatou gozaimasu for reading and reviewing the last chapter!! –happy- Please read the following chapter thoroughly and review again, ne?? –twinkling eyes- This chapter doesn't have much actions, because it's supposed to be an interlude—only crowded with explanation. Umm… so forgive me if it's a little.. boring. XP

As usual, I'm in so much debt to my beloved two betas… Vivi-sama and Az-sama. None of my words would express my gratitude to the both of you! Thank you for once again beta-ing my fic and listening to my rambles!

And as usual..

"_**Pride and Prejudice."**_—the line said by Fitzwilliam Darcy

Saa, minna-san! Enjoy the seventh chapter!

--o0o--

"We aimed for Shangri-La, without suppressing our desire, covered in daydreams, we kept searching for "freedom." Now we can say it- this is paradise. Goodbye, days of blue." –translation of Shangri-La, angela-

For 'Aisuru na hito', because you reminded me the happiness of seeing the one you love smiled, and taught me for the umpteenth time of how to love.

--o0o--

_**Pride and Prejudice**_

_**Chapter Seven: Interlude—Crumbling**_

Blood Pledge Castle, evening…

Günter strode down the hallway, his expression tight with sorrow, and his feature tense, as if he was going into a fierce battle. He entered Gwendal's study quietly and closed the door behind him.

His eyes fell upon the sight of a white bird on the windowsill, chirping at him while cocking its head innocently, and Günter immediately noticed the tiny, brown bag tied on its neck.

"Gwendal." He muttered, quickly approaching the bird and nervously took out the small paper from the tiny bag. He was just about to write to the stoic-faced man about the princess' kidnapping this afternoon once Lasagna had resumed consciousness to inform him of what had happened. He had also done a little research to find out any possible identity of the kidnappers by the description Lasagna had given him.

Günter unfolded the paper, fingers unconsciously trembling in anticipation of what might be written in there.

_Von Christ-kyo._

_I want all details and information of what happened to Greta-Hime by tonight. She is in Black Dawn's hand._

_Gwendal von Voltaire_

Günter took a sharp breath in surprise. Black Dawn? How in Shin Makoku were all of these cases related?

He grimaced at the opening of the message. Gwendal never called him by his surname, except when it was something urgent and formal enough, or when the latter was very angry—or disappointed—at him. And judging by the tone of the message, Gwendal was certainly more than unhappy.

But what was important at the moment was the Princess. Anything else could wait. Günter knew how special Greta was to everyone—even Gwendal and Günter himself—despite the fact that she was a human and had tried to kill Yuuri once. Her naiveté, her childish innocence, her way of understanding her surroundings… The little princess had captured so many of the hearts of those who lived around her in her own way, making her as special as Yuuri was, if not more.

And Günter could recall several moments when he had seen the usually stoic dark-haired man's expression softened at the sight of Greta's childish attitude. Gwendal was very fond of his adopted niece, just like Günter was very fond of Gisela.

He reached across the table for a quill and a piece of paper. Pausing for a moment, he formed the words he was about to write in his mind.

_Gwendal._

_Hime-sama was kidnapped when she approached an apparently injured old man in an abandoned alley not far from the market. Lasagna and Doria, who were with her at the time, were attacked suddenly by hurling water. Judging by the characteristic of the water and the strength, the kidnapper was a brilliant water controller. I will send a soldier to Caloria at this very moment to deliver all the information I have acquired._

_I apologize for my recklessness of letting Hime-sama go outside the castle without any protection. For that, I request to journey quickly to Caloria to join you and the others against Black Dawn…_

Günter stopped abruptly. He sighed, knowing that Gwendal wouldn't approve of his request. So he quickly crossed the last sentence with a long line, and replaced it.

_If Hime-sama is in Black Dawn's hand, I assume that our attempts at negotiations did not succeed? I will prepare the troops and see that they will be ready to respond to any call from you. I also would like to mention that I have found a way that has the possibility of removing the curse, but it can wait. Please concentrate on finding Hime-sama._

Günter paused for a moment. Taking a deep breath, he made up his mind and continued his writing.

_I also would like you to take care of yourself and be careful._

Another pause, and Günter wrote the last words that came to his mind.

_Please stay safe, Gwendal._

_Regards,_

_Günter von Christ._

Günter drew a deep breath, and folded the paper. He reached to the bird and slipped in the paper into the tiny brown bag on its neck. He fumbled with his pocket for a second and drew out some seeds he had always kept for the messenger bird. The little bird chirped happily at the sight of the food, and eagerly devoured them.

Günter patted its head softly and murmured, "Go back to Gwendal as quick as you can."

The bird chirped once, and cocked its head, understanding what Günter had just said. Günter nodded and smiled...

From somewhere within the castle went unaware the suspicious presence who kept his eyes on the Royal Advisor as he stood in front of the window.

--o0o--

**Castle of Caloria...**

Wolfram walked slowly along the hallway towards the guest chamber where he and Yuuri slept while they were staying at Caloria. The sun had just barely hidden itself behind the horizon, getting prepared to sleep until its time to rise at the next dawn.

None of the people in the castle had been in the mood of doing anything since they came back from Brünnhilde Forest. Dinner had been served without Fuurin's presence, since the Lady of Caloria was not allowed out of bed. Gwendal had refused politely to have dinner, retreating to the library, followed by Conrad, who asked Wolfram to 'take care of Yuuri'. Yuuri hadn't even talked to anybody since they left Brünnhilde Forest. The Maou had been silent, a mixed look of troubled, anxious, fear, worry, and helplessness reflected clearly on his face. Wolfram and Murata had to drag him out of the guest chamber to the dining room to eat dinner—although in the end, Yuuri only ate a little, obviously having no interest in his dinner.

Wolfram halted abruptly as he sensed the familiar sleepiness washing through him. He blinked several times in order to shove the sleepiness away as he stumbled to the wall, feeling weak all of a sudden. His whole body felt hard to move, and he struggled hard to keep his consciousness, but despite his efforts, the awareness of his surroundings started to diminish.

No, not now... he groaned inwardly. I don't have time for a rest! I have to ask Aniue about Greta! I have to make sure Yuuri is going to be okay... I have to save Greta...

Blinking again, Wolfram shook his head slowly. He took a step forward, and immediately stumbled. Leaning against the wall, he felt his body became heavier and heavier as the sleepiness almost overcame him. He let his body slide down the wall slowly, eyes blinking heavily as he tried to keep his eyes open.

This is ridiculous, his mind scolded himself. You swore not to surrender to the sleepiness before the time comes.

Wolfram's eyes fluttered heavily.

"Wolfram!" he heard a familiar, worried voice call for him followed by hurried footsteps, and the next thing he felt was being pulled into a pair of warm arms in a firm hold. He blinked heavily, his brain trying to register the person who was holding him.

"Wolfram, can you hear me? Are you okay? Wolfram!"

His eyes fluttered once again to see a shadow of brown eyes he knows so well. He blinked several times, attempting to clear his vision without any result, but he caught a flash of worry in the warm eyes of the person before him.

"Con...rad…" he murmured sleepily, blinking. "I'm…"

"Hush. You can sleep if you want to." Conrad said, lowering his voice, masking his worry with a smile. Strangely enough, Wolfram felt the tone Conrad used was familiar, as if he had heard it so many times before. Slowly, the younger mazoku shook his head.

"No... Greta..."

"Gwendal is trying to locate her. You need to rest. The curse is taking its toll on you."

"But Yuuri..." Wolfram blinked again, struggling to keep his eyes open. The thought of Yuuri, being alone in the guest chamber, worrying after Greta and was probably ready to burst out at any moment… Wolfram blinked away the sleepiness little by little. "I have to be with… Yuuri. He needs someone to talk to..."

"Wolfram..." Conrad made to protest, but silenced himself as Wolfram sat up and moved away from his hold. He gazed at his younger brother as the younger prince straightened himself up and slowly rose to his feet. Sighing, Conrad helped his brother to stand up.

Wolfram pursed his lips as he steadied himself, blinking away the drowsiness that threatened to overcome him. He had to be strong... for Yuuri. It wasn't the time to surrender to the curse... yet.

Turning to meet Conrad's eyes, the blonde asked quietly, "Did Aniue find something about Greta's whereabouts?"

"A messenger bird from Blood Pledge Castle has just arrived. Gwendal said it was from Günter. We are expecting a soldier to come tonight, bringing any information Günter had collected." Conrad replied, eyes scrutinizing Wolfram's features. "Wolfram, you need to take a rest more. Now that the curse..."

"I said I'm fine." Wolfram cut him curtly, scowling. "The curse has nothing to do about this. I was just tired, that's all."

Conrad looked at him, a hint of sadness shone through his eyes. "You're not fooling anybody." The older mazoku murmured. "Wolfram, we're all just..."

"What? Worried? There's no need to be." Wolfram averted his half brother's eyes. Conrad sighed. "Wolfram." He said, using the stern tone he hadn't used on his younger brother for years. "Take a good rest tonight. That's the only thing I would ask of you."

Wolfram suddenly turned to face him, and Conrad was startled at the mixed look of anger, disbelief, fear, and hurt shone brightly through the two emerald orbs. The blonde gritted his teeth, and suddenly, Conrad was reminded of the time when Wolfram had snapped at him during the last time they had a picnic together with Yuuri and Greta.

"Don't pretend to care." A low, almost growling mutter made its way out of Wolfram's mouth. "Leave me alone. Like you have done all these years."

With that, as if he had found a new strength, Wolfram strode down the hallway in a swift motion, leaving Conrad staring in shock at his retreating back.

--o0o--

Yuuri sat down on his bed, eyes staring straight at the ceiling above him.

A flash of a brown-haired, cute little princess smiling at him appeared before his eyes.

Yuuri closed his eyes tightly. Greta…

He had thought she would be safe in Shin Makoku. She ought to be! Yuuri's mind cried. How could anybody kidnap her when she was in the safety of the castle? How could any of the guards not notice the kidnapper? How could Günter let Greta out of his watch? How could Gwendal, Conrad, and even Wolfram acted so normally and calmly upon the kidnapping of the princess? Well, Yuuri couldn't! He couldn't act calmly when he knew his daughter's whereabouts were unknown, and there was a possibility that Black Dawn was torturing her at this moment!

What if Yuuri never saw her again?

How could he be so stupid and careless, thinking that as long as the princess was under the surveillance of the people in the castle, she would be safe and well? He should have been more careful, assigning at least some kind of a private guard for Greta. If he had, Greta wouldn't have to be in this situation... she didn't have to face the terrible mazoku and humans in Black Dawn..

Anger rose within Yuri. How dare that Isenbert person plan to kidnap Greta, and worse, succeed? How dare they included an innocent and naive child into the dirty world of politics and used her for their selfish greed of a power? How dare they...

"Yuuri?"

Yuuri started at the familiar, soft voice of Wolfram. He turned slowly to find the blonde mazoku sat on the bed, looking at him worriedly.

"Yuuri… are you okay?"

Yuuri opened his mouth to say something, but he couldn't really find what was it he wanted to say, so he closed his mouth again and cast his gaze down.

Wolfram only moved closer, encircling his arm around Yuuri's shoulders. Yuuri felt his body tensed at the touch, but Wolfram quickly whispered, "Don't worry." He squeezed Yuuri's shoulder lightly in a reassuring manner. "She'll be alright. We'll find her by tomorrow morning."

Yuuri's body started to tremble in his suppressed emotions. "How..." he choked out, voice quivering at the strong emotions that threatened to overflow from his eyes. "How can you be so sure..?"

"Because it's Aniue who is searching right now." His fiancé's voice was soft and calm. "Aniue would be able to-…"

"But we could be too late!" Yuuri cried suddenly, shoving Wolfram's arm away from him and turned around to face the blonde mazoku. "They—those indecent people could be torturing her right now! She must be crying right now... waiting for us to save her... but we... we can't do anything until tomorrow morning… and you expect me to be calm about it?! She's my daughter! How can I be calm when I don't even know where she is?!"

"She's also my daughter." Wolfram said slowly, reaching out to touch Yuuri's hand, but Yuuri jerked his hand away. The Maou choked a sob, his whole body trembling, tears running down his cheeks shamelessly.

"No, she's not!" Yuuri was almost shrieking at this point, and Wolfram was taken aback. "I was the one who adopted her... and you didn't even like her in the first place… you... won't understand... no one will!"

Wolfram's eyes widened. "Yuu-..."

"If you understood, we wouldn't be here right now! We'd be somewhere out there, looking for Greta, because that is what parents are supposed to do! She's alone out there, and she hates to be all alone by herself! You know that, don't you?!" Yuuri sobbed. "We have to go now… we have to save her... I can't... just stay here…"

Wolfram's eyes softened at the sight of the crying, helpless, desperate Maou. He reached forward, pulling Yuuri into his arms and embraced him tightly. Despite the throbbing of his heart at Yuuri's accusing exclamation before, he patted Yuuri's back lightly in a reassuring manner.

"Yuuri, listen to me." He murmured softly as the Maou's sobs began to even out. "We're all worried about Greta, and you know that perfectly. Don't you dare to doubt that." Wolfram's paused as another sob came from the Maou. "Aniue is trying his hardest to locate her, and Conrad is helping him. All we can do is wait, and once we've found her, we'll go and save her. She will be alright, Yuuri. She's a strong girl."

Wolfram felt Yuuri nodded, and continued, "Now, it's better if you sleep. If you don't take a rest tonight, tomorrow you won't be at your best to save your daughter." Wolfram pursed his lips, avoiding the use of 'our daughter' instead. "I'll wake you up once I hear something from Aniue or Conrad."

"Greta… will be okay, right?" Yuuri mumbled sleepily, exhaustion quickly taking its place and worked over his body, sending the sleepiness to his brain and making his eyes get heavier. Wolfram gave him a quiet "Hmm."

The blonde gazed down tenderly at the Maou in his arms. Affectionately, he murmured, "Go to sleep, Yuuri."

As the double-black boy surrendered into a deep slumber, Wolfram heard him mumble incoherently, "Wolf, too... get some sleep.."

Closing his eyes, Wolfram let a tired smile tugged at his lips. Silently he prayed that Greta would be okay, that Yuuri would get his spirit back tomorrow and that Gwendal would find Greta very soon.

As Wolfram felt the familiar sleepy feeling washed over him, the blonde heard an echo of the familiar voice.

"Hush. You can sleep if you want to."

His eyes fluttered for a moment, but then closed again. Why did the tone sound so familiar…?

"_You can sleep if you're sleepy, Wolfram."_

"_Ngg… good night, Conrad-aniue..."_

"_Good night."_

Ah, yes, that's right…

Conrad used to tell me to go to sleep in that tone when I was little... before he became so busy with the war like everybody else…

Before he, too, left me…

A heavy sigh was heard as the blonde mazoku succumbed into a deep sleep.

--o0o--

"Isenbert-sama." Two dark, hooded figures bowed when Isenbert stormed angrily into the small room. Isenbert slammed the door closed behind him, his eyes burning with rage. He scanned the room, and his eyes fell onto the small delicate figure of a brown-haired little girl, laying unconscious on the bed.

A sadistic smile appeared on his face. "You did well, Dethleff. Is she still alive?"

"I did no harm upon her, my Lord." The one called Dethleff replied, gesturing to the little girl. "She is merely asleep after I hypnotized her."

Isenbert nodded in satisfaction. He walked towards the window and opened them, letting the cold breeze of wind rushed inside the room, flapping the curtain. He smirked, half-deviously.

"This is going to be much fun, Maou-Heika."

He gazed outside for several seconds, before turning back to Dethleff and asked, "How is Eckhart?"

"He's ready to move at your order."

Isenbert nodded, satisfied once again, and ordered, "Carry on with the rest of the plan. Make sure you do not make any mistake. I want both Maou-Heika and the Lady of Caloria alive."

His subordinates bowed. "Yes, my Lord."

The moment both of his subordinates left, Isenbert moved closer to the bed and sat down. Gently, he caressed the brown bangs of the little girl and bent down to whisper on her ear.

"Greta, wake up. Wake up, my little princess."

The girl's fingers moved, and slowly, her eyes were opened. Isenbert watched in satisfaction as he watched the two warm, brown eyes glazed over him expressionlessly.

Greta's eyes moved to look at Isenbert, and the latter almost couldn't restrain his triumphant, evil smirk as the little princess murmured,

"Father."

--o0o--

"Send him back to the castle." Conrad's voice was rough, thick with emotion, and for once, Gwendal could see clearly the helpless expression his brother had always managed to hide behind his smiles.

"He would object." Gwendal answered stoically, fingers folding back the message from Günter he had just received. "You know how stubborn he is."

Conrad shot him an incredulous look. "He is getting worse." He stated, a hint of desperation leaked through his voice. "He wouldn't even be any help if he stayed. Please, Gwendal, send him home."

Gwendal was silent. It's not that he didn't wish to send his youngest brother back to the Blood Pledge Castle, especially now that Günter said he had found a way to brandish the curse but Wolfram had been able to join them in this journey only because the Daikenja ordered him to come—one of the things that Gwendal could never understand about Murata.

"Gwendal!" Conrad persisted. "Send him back. There's no use including him in this danger. Both of us are more than enough... not to mention that we have Caloria in our side..."

"Ah, but really, Weller-kyo," Murata's amused voice cut him off, surprising both the mazoku and the half-human. "It is not very necessary to send him home. Firstly, he'd throw tantrums at everybody for being sent home. Secondly, it's his daughter that's being kidnapped. He'd do anything to save her, don't you think? Third, he's still more than capable to help. You shouldn't spoil him too much. He's an adult already."

Conrad sighed. "Geika…" he began hesitantly. "He's not in any state for fighting. And, seeing that Black Dawn actually never had any intention to solve this problem peacefully other than if we handed Shin Makoku over to him, we would have to fight against them. And Wolfram currently is..."

"I know," Murata smiled. "But at least let him stay until the Princess is saved. If you send him back tomorrow, he would be agitated in the castle. He could cause much trouble there." Murata chuckled. Conrad and Gwendal exchanged weary glances.

The Daikenja sat down casually on one of the chair. "Other than that, Von Voltaire-kyo, what did Von Christ-kyo said in his message?" there was a knowing hint on the double-black boy.

Gwendal stared at him for several seconds. How did he know a message from Günter had just come? Shrugging, the oldest man sighed. It was Geika, after all, he thought wearily.

"Not much. There will be a messenger from the castle arriving in late tonight from the castle," Gwendal paused, and lowered his voice as he added, "He also mentioned that he found a way that could possibly dispel the curse."

Conrad's eyes widened in disbelief, but there was some kind of relief in there. "Is that… true?"

Gwendal nodded. Murata grinned. "See? It's not really necessary to send Von Bielefeld-kyo back now. We still have time." The Daikenja's expression turned sly as he eyed Gwendal once again. "Did Von Christ-kyo write anything else?"

Gwendal shook his head. Murata raised his eyebrows. "Really…" there was a knowing tone in his voice. "Since it's from Von Christ-kyo for you, Von Voltaire-kyo, I had thought that maybe he wrote down his concerns about you..."

Conrad's expression turned into an amused one. "Geika..."

Gwendal cleared his throat uncomfortably. "That would be my personal business, Geika." He replied stoically, although Conrad was sure he caught a slight tremor in his voice. Murata let out an amused laugh.

"Ah, I'd be happy if a certain somebody sent me a private messages and told me that he is worried about me." Murata teased, and grinned widely, before casting his gaze outside the window and murmured softly, "Of course, it's impossible it'll happen to me. It's not like he could go outside the Shrine..."

"Geika? Pardon us, but we couldn't hear what you were saying..."

"Aah, it's nothing!" Murata turned back to the two brothers. "Anyway, now that we have at least found some ways of breaking the curse, why don't we concentrate on finding the Princess?"

Gwendal sighed, rubbing his temple. That was exactly what Conrad and he were doing before the Daikenja charged into the library without any warning.

He gazed down at the neatly folded paper in his hand. His eyes softened. If he closed his eyes and listened intently, he could almost hear Günter's voice saying the words the Royal Advisor had written on the paper.

_I also would like you to take care of yourself and be careful._

_Please stay safe, Gwendal._

Somehow, the words brought indescribable warmth into his heavy chest.

--o0o--

The next morning in the Castle of Caloria was in an uproar.

The Royal Advisor of Caloria, one of Fuurin's best and closest man, Hans, was found in his room, on his bed, in white sheets that had turned blood red and his head unattached from his body, as well as his four limbs. On the floor, written neatly by Hans' blood, was two huge letters of a 'B' and a 'D'.

The maid who found him could only let out a horrified scream before collapsing into a dead faint at the sight of Hans' bloody corpse.

--o0o--

Fuurin buried her face in her hands, hiding the stressed and miserable expression on her face. Her shoulders shook as she let out a small sob. Behind her, one of her guardians could only put his hand on her shoulder, squeezing it gently, trying to give some strength left for his Queen.

In front of her, Yuuri looked at her with sad eyes. No one needed to ask who killed Hans. The two red letters drawn on the floor had said everything.

Black Dawn.

"Why..?" Fuurin's voice was shaking from the sobs she emitted. "Why him? Why Hans..?"

Silence answered her question. Her two guardians looked stressed. Gwendal pursed his lips.

Now, Caloria had no Royal Advisor. It would be harder for them to fight against Black Dawn, now that Fuurin had lost one of her innermost power. To choose a new Royal Advisor would take a long time. She had no one to turn to for advice. As long as the Maou's party was here, Fuurin could only depend on them. Luckily, Gwendal thought, they still have Günter to turn to…

His eyes widened at the thought.

"Günter." He said suddenly, as if he just realized something, and his expression quickly changed into a worried one. The others turned to him, inquiry clear on their face. Gwendal gritted his teeth.

"They are trying to weaken our Kingdoms from within." He stated, frustrated. "Currently, only Shin Makoku and Caloria fight against them. And that is exactly what they want to start their plan with. By killing Hans, they eliminated Fuurin's innermost power." He paused, eyes narrowed. "They will do the same with Shin Makoku. In other words..."

"They will kill Günter..." Yuuri whispered, realization struck him. "And now that we're all in Caloria, the protection in the castle would lessen, and they would be able to sneak in easily..." his eyes widened. "And if they could kill Hans last night…"

Murata's glasses gleamed as his eyes narrowed. "They might have succeeded in killing Von Christ-kyo in the castle, too."

Gwendal made a frustrated noise. This was unexpected. He closed his eyes, trying to think of the best way to get the news to the castle. If Black Dawn could sneak into the castle, there was a possibility that someone also had intercepted the messages he sent by the messenger bird. He, of course, wanted to just run to the horse, ride to the harbor, board the first ship to Shin Makoku, and get back to the castle as fast as he could, but…

He had more than enough responsibilities to handle here. Not to mention Greta was…

Conrad sighed, knowing exactly what had caused the frustration of his older brother. He glanced sideways to catch Yozak's eyes, and nodded to the orange-haired man. Yozak looked reluctant at first, but then nodded.

"I'll go." Yozak said, raising his hand in a volunteering gesture. "I'll go back and see if the advisor is still alive, and if he is, I'll ensure his safety for you," he addressed Gwendal at this. "And I'll prepare the troops; I should be back in four or five days,"

"No." Murata suddenly said, surprising everyone in the room. "Yozak should stay here. We need as many strong soldiers as we could get if we want to save the Princess."

Gwendal threw an angry look to Murata, but the Daikenja looked back at him firmly. Battling Gwendal's eyes, Murata said, "Von Voltaire-kyo, we have to handle things that are going on here. Von Christ-kyo is an excellent fighter. I don't think he could be killed that easily. Besides, didn't Von Christ-kyo ask you to focus on finding and saving the Princess first?"

Gwendal opened his mouth to retort, but there nothing came out. He closed his mouth again, pursing his lips.

_Please concentrate on finding Hime-sama._

Yes, Günter had indeed written that in his message. But how exactly did Murata find out about it? Gwendal shook his head slowly in resignation. Never mind, that wasn't even a problem he wanted to solve.

"Now that everyone's head is clear, let's look for a different way to contact Blood Pledge Castle. It's possible that Black Dawn would attack us soon. After all, he did mention that he wanted Shibuya and Lady Fuurin as the sacrifices." Murata paused.

"Oi, Murata." Yuuri looked at his best friend, eyes inquiring. "You do know about this so-called Immortal Land?"

Murata's glasses gleamed as the boy nodded. "Aah. I know. Not much, because I can't say I like the concept, therefore I didn't pay much attention to it." he paused. "But Isenbert told you, didn't he? This Immortal Land is in another dimension, and the only portal to go there is on the hill behind Blood Pledge Castle, where Shinou had proclaimed Shin Makoku as his kingdom for the first time."

Yuuri nodded. "And he also said that to open the portal, there is a certain ritual…"

"It's not that simple." Murata sighed, leaning back to his chair. "The portal would only let a certain person open it. Isenbert would have to rule over everybody in this universe. And this is why he wanted to unite all the countries under one nation."

"And he wanted 'sacrifices'." Fuurin said. "What does that mean?"

"The portal..." the Daikenja paused, looking for the right word. "Let's just say that it wants… proof... that the person who opened it had really conquered the world. So, it demands sacrifices: the ex-ruler of all the countries and kingdoms in the world. Once Isenbert has conquered the world, brought all the sacrifices, and chanted the incantation needed in front of the portal, the portal would... um… suck up the lives of the sacrifices to be used as the energy to reveal itself."

Yuuri's eyes widened. "So... the sacrifices would die?"

"No, not quite." Murata shook his head. "Not die, but more like… cease to exist. Simply gone from this world."

Everybody in the room exchanged glances of disbelief.

"When it had revealed itself, the portal would still be closed, locked." Murata continued. "Isenbert still wouldn't be able to even touch the portal. It had to be... how to say it.. let's say, it had to be unlocked first. Isenbert would have to use a certain someone to unlock and open the portal… with his or her life."

"In other words, the last sacrifice." Conrad muttered.

Murata nodded. "Exactly. And the one who would be the last sacrifice.." he paused for a second, taking a breath deeply and looked straightly at the Maou.

"The last sacrifice is the heir of the strongest kingdom or country that Isenbert has to face in his efforts to conquer the world."

Silence fell into the room right after Murata finished his sentence.

"No way.." Yuuri whispered in disbelief. "Don't tell me… Greta.."

Murata nodded. "Most likely. She is your daughter after all."

Yuuri sank onto his chair, his expression a mixed of emotions. Standing next to him, Wolfram gripped the edge of the table, trying to steady himself because his knees suddenly felt very weak. Conrad narrowed his eyes, and Gwendal looked like he was ready to murder somebody if they did not set out for Isenbert right away.

After the long silence passed, Murata stood, glancing at Gwendal. "I think I do have a way to send a message to Blood Pledge Castle." He nodded in certainty. "And it wouldn't take much time to reach there. Should we try?"

"Yes." Gwendal answered quickly. "What is it?"

"I'll send a message to Ulrike." Murata walked to the door, pausing before exiting the room. "I'll send my maryoku through water to the Shrine in codes, asking for the castle's condition and order the troops to set out once we found the princess. Shinou would hear, Ulrike would. Then they could tell Gisela to send a messenger bird here, giving us any news about the castle." He turned to look at Yuuri seriously. "Shibuya, you have to make your mind whether you're going to fight Black Dawn or not. This is really serious. You have no idea how many things would be affected if we let Black Dawn win."

With that, the Daikenja left the room.

Yuuri pursed his lips, and looked up to eye Gwendal wearily. "Have you found Greta's whereabouts?"

Gwendal nodded. "I tracked all traces from Brünnhilde Forest yesterday, and I have analyzed every single place that could be their hiding place." He produced a small map from his pocket. "The place that is most likely their hiding place is the Kelv Valley."

"Kelv Valley?" Yuuri repeated, eyebrows furrowing seriously.

"It's a hidden valley between the two hills on the border of Caloria and Shou Shimaron." Fuurin explained. "It's probably half a day from this castle."

"I have sent two soldiers to check the valley last night to see if my assumption is right," Gwendal said. "I told them to send a message before noon today. If they haven't sent any messages or come back before noon, we would assume that they had been captured by Black Dawn, and that the valley really is their hiding place. And if that happened, we will set out immediately."

Yuuri nodded in relief. "Arigatou, Gwendal." He said, voice slightly shaking. "I'm glad I can rely on you... on everyone."

Gwendal made some sort of "Hn" noise as a reply.

Yuuri turned back to Fuurin. "Fuurin-san." He began. "I'm very sorry about Hans."

Fuurin tried to smile, but it came out bitter. "It is not your fault, Yuuri-Heika."

"In case..." Yuuri lowered his head. "In case we really have to fight… will Caloria stand by Shin Makoku?"

"Always, Yuuri-Heika." Fuurin gazed at the Maou tenderly. She could feel Yuuri's desperation to save Greta, and the Maou's concern for his Royal Advisor. Sometimes, she envied the gentle power and soul that the Maou had, and his abilities to make people trust him not only with words, but acts.

She caught Wolfram's eyes narrowed at her for staring at Yuuri. She looked up to meet the blonde mazoku's eyes, expecting a frown and dislike in it…

But she was taken aback at the look Wolfram was giving him.

Sure, there was jealousy, as usual, and dislike, too. But there was something new in there. And… Fuurin couldn't believe her own eyes.

Defeat? Was that a defeated emotion that leaked out from Wolfram's shining emerald orbs?

--o0o--

By noontime, Gwendal finally received a messenger bird from the two soldiers he had sent out to the Kelv Valley. The message was simple and hastily written, telling Gwendal that the valley was, indeed, Black Dawn's hiding place. They also claimed that they caught a glance of the princess wandering around in the valley, side by side with Isenbert.

A sudden meeting once again took place in Fuurin's study. In the end, it was agreed that they all would start the journey to Kelv Valley before the afternoon ends. Gwendal also—reluctantly—made a decision that they couldn't wait for the messenger bird from Shin Makoku to come. If by the time they were about to go the message hadn't come yet, Yozak would have to go to the castle and prepare the troops immediately.

"The princess is our focus for now." Gwendal had said in determination.

It was when the meeting was about to end that a familiar, white, little bird flew through the window of Fuurin's study, and halted before Gwendal.

Everybody was silent. Gwendal quickly reached the tiny bag on the bird's neck and took out the rolled paper inside of it. He slowly unrolled the paper—strangely enough, he needed more time than usual to unroll a piece of paper—unaware of his shaking fingers. When finally he unrolled it completely, his first sight of strings of words written in a neat, beautiful, familiar mazoku handwriting made him exhaled in relief—without knowing that he had hold his breath while he unrolled the paper.

"Gwendal?" Conrad called carefully. "What-…"

"Günter's alive." Gwendal said quietly—and Wolfram had never seen his brother looked so relieved before. The oldest son of Cecilie sank slowly onto the chair. "He's alive… He was in Shinou's Shrine when Geika sent his maryoku, and he sent the messenger bird immediately. He admitted there was a mazoku who tried to kill him last night, but he was able to defeat him and capture him."

Yuuri drew in an audibly breath in relief. Murata smiled. "So... we have a hostage from Black Dawn?"

"Yes. Günter is keeping him in the dungeon. He also said that he has prepared the troops, and asked when he should send them out." Gwendal purposefully left the "Gwendal, let me come with the troops! I will not stay longer in the castle, now that the situation seems worse!" part unmentioned.

Murata looked thoughtful. "Sou ka…" he traced the edge of the table. "This is a little... unexpected. I had thought I might be able to notify them when to set out with my maryoku once again… but in this situation, I would say we'd have to send Yozak back to the castle to notify them to set out."

Conrad's head snapped back to the Daikenja. "Geika?"

"If we're holding a hostage from Black Dawn, it would be dangerous to keep him in the castle." Murata began. "We don't know what he might be capable of doing. And he'll be a great source of information if we have him here."

"Why Yozak?" Conrad pressed.

"Because Von Voltaire-kyo wouldn't let Von Christ-kyo out of the castle." Murata sent a knowing glance to the stoic mazoku—who barely managed to looked baffled. "And we can't trust the hostage to be guarded by the troops only. Yozak is going to bring him to us, and he'll be in charge of the troops while they're on the way, in place of Von Christ-kyo."

Yuuri nodded in understanding. "We can't leave the castle empty. It'll be vulnerable to attack, and Black Dawn would surely seize the chance. That's why Günter can't leave..?"

Murata gave Yuuri a smile the Maou couldn't interpret. "Maa... you can say so, Shibuya. I guess.." he turned to Yozak. "Tanomu yo, Yozak.(1)"

Yozak nodded, sending a reassuring glance to Conrad. "I'll be going, then." He made his way to the door.

"Wait a minute, please." Fuurin's voice halted him. Yozak turned. Fuurin rose to her feet and moved closer to the map that hanging on the wall.

"This is the castle of Caloria." She pointed a red dot. "And this..." she moved her finger to a small, black dot about ten centimeters to the direction of northeast from the red dot. "…is Kelv Valley. See that it's a little closer to the ocean?"

Everyone made a nodding gesture, and Fuurin continued. "It would be faster if you don't go to the harbor you usually come in from." She said. "From Shin Makoku, go straight to here." She pointed a small, blue dot not far from the black dot she had previously pointed at. "This is a small harbor, and you'll need only one and a half hour to reach Kelv Valley from this point. It's much faster than if you went through Caloria Castle to go to Kelv Valley."

Yozak nodded, grinning. "That saves the time a lot." He bowed, and then exited the room. The door closed with a small thud behind him.

--o0o--

"Yuuri."

"What, Wolfram?"Yuuri turned to the blonde mazoku who sat on their bed in the guest room. They were back in the room getting ready to set out for Kelv Valley before the afternoon ended.

Wolfram eyed the Maou carefully, as if wanting to memorize every single detail of his fiancé's features. After being silent for several seconds, he let out a small, audible, "Hmph! You wimpy cheater!"

Yuuri blinked at the sudden and unexpected accusation. "What?! Don't call me that!"

"Well, you deserve it!" Wolfram retorted, although—Yuuri wasn't sure if it was only his imagination or not—his retort sounded a little… off. But Wolfram went on. "Since we arrived here in Caloria, you've been flirting with Lady Fuurin, haven't you?"

Yuuri felt anger bubble in his chest. If Wolfram wanted to argue about this, he really had picked a wrong moment. Yuuri was in no mood of fighting at this moment, with all this stupid Black Dawn matters. Not to mention that Greta…

"I am not!" before he knew it, Yuuri had already retorted back. "I'm not flirting with Fuurin-san! And if I did, it shouldn't be counted as cheating! I have no one to cheat on!"

Wolfram's eyes narrowed in dislike at Yuuri's blatant retort. "Yuuri! I am your fiancé, and you have no right to flirt with anyone when you already have me! Cheater!"

"I'm not a cheater! The engagement was an accident! Besides, this is really no time or place to discuss such a thing!"

Wolfram's eyes widened at Yuuri's words. He felt his defense wall crumble as his chest thumped painfully. Shinou… it had been so long since the last time Yuuri accused the engagement as an accident. He hadn't brought it up as a reason for months. Why did he start again now?

Rising to his feet, Wolfram snorted, his eyes stung. "Yuuri, you stupid wimp!! Why is it that you have to be so dense?!"

"Don't call me wimp! And it's not me who is dense! It's not me who started this, although we have no time to discuss this thing! It's you!" Yuuri yelled back, unable to control his anger. It wasn't like him to burst out in anger, but he was beyond tired, and he had no more stock of his patience to listen to Wolfram's accusations. For once, Yuuri wanted to vent all his anger out.

"Well, then, maybe Lady Fuurin is better for you! If you like her so much, why don't you just marry her and live happily ever after?! Greta wouldn't mind, she likes Lady Fuurin, doesn't she?! Go on, marry her, you wimp!"

There, he said it. Wolfram felt like a huge mountain had just been lifted up from his shoulders.

Yuuri's eyes narrowed incredulously at the blonde mazoku. What the hell is Wolfram thinking?! Yuuri's mind raced. This is so not the time nor place to fight! Greta's waiting! I have to save Greta!

Okay, that's it, Yuuri decided. I've had enough of this now.

"Wolfram! Can't you stop being selfish for just a moment?! This isn't about us, or Lady Fuurin, or anyone else! Heck, it's not even about Black Dawn anymore! This is about Greta! She's in danger, for Shinou's sake!" Yuuri snarled at the youngest mazoku prince. "Greta is waiting for us to save her! It's all about Greta, Wolfram! Stop being selfish just this once, and think about Greta!"

Unable to keep his anger and emotion down, the Maou stormed out of the room, leaving the blonde mazoku alone, shock evident in his eyes at Yuuri's anger.

Slowly, Wolfram sat back down on the bed, listening to the silence filling the room. After the fight, it felt strange to listen to the sudden silence.

Ah, Wolfram… he scolded himself. You did it again. Can't you just keep your mouth shut? Now, not only you're hurting your own feelings, but Yuuri's as well. Just like Elizabeth to Darcy.

I've always hurt Yuuri with my words..

Yes, but this is the first time he really snapped at you, isn't it? He must have thought what a selfish person you are. Too proud of yourself. Uncaring about your surroundings. Are you that kind of person, Wolfram? Do you know yourself?

_**So this is your opinion of me?**_

Maybe… maybe I am…

Just like Darcy?

Yes. But... no.. I'm just...

Burying his face on his palms, Wolfram let a single tear ran down his cheek. He was glad no one was in the room. He wouldn't let anyone see him like this. No one should see the supposedly strong and selfish Wolfram von Bielefeld crying.

But his defensive wall had finally crumbled, leaving him vulnerable to the world.

He didn't even understand himself anymore. He was confused not only with Yuuri, but also with himself.

He found himself wishing that Greta was here, comforting him with her warm hugs and sympathetic, warm brown eyes. Ah... he missed Greta so much. And he was worried about her, of course. But at least, he knew Greta would be alive as long as Isenbert wanted her to be the last sacrifice.

Greta…

Yuuri…

What are we?

He choked a little as he drew a long breath, trying to calm his mind down. He bit his lips, and let out a bitter chuckle.

I'll hold on. For another month.

Before I can finally rest.

--o0o--

tbc? XD

--o0o--

A/N: Araaa… dou ka na.. –giggles- This whole Black Dawn thing turned out to be way more complicated that I expected at first. –whacks her head- Anyways, soo… Greta is being hypnotized, Günter was almost killed, Fuurin's advisor is dead (wow, I just introduced him in this chapter by killing him.. that's funny), Gwendal is stressed, Murata is.. well, still Murata..(I made him looked psychic here..), Yozak's gone back to the Blood Pledge Castle (I wonder if he'd ever felt tired..), and Conrad is worried of practically everyone, Wolfram is getting worse.. (XD), and Yuuri is still dense.. and finally snapped back at Wolf-chan. I really laughed at myself for writing this. Ne, is there anyone I left? –grins- Angst! Angst! I love angst!

(1) "Tanomu yo, Yozak." This basically means the same as "please, Yozak," but I just can't seem to find the right word in English.. 'please' isn't the exact right word. I think it's like "I'll leave everything to you, Yozak."

The third season of Kyou Kara Maou is SUPERB. To start it straightly with Wolfram, Yuuri and Greta.. there is no better way to open a new season. –giggles- For those who haven't watched… WATCH IT! NOW!! I ORDER YOU! Hehehee.. and keep your fingers crossed, because Yuuri and Wolfram's relationship is finally going (a little) forward. Haha.

I can't get out the image of Greta kissing Gwendal on the cheek in the last OVA from my head. So cute and adorable!! –squee- And the amount of brotherly (and family) affections in the first episode of the season 3 had me fainted. –grins- It's such a blessing of inspiration…

Okay, enough of my ramblings. Thank you for reading this far, and please, please review once again for me! –puppy eyes- Constructive criticisms, of course, are always most welcomed. Flames, too.. not that I care about it. But I can use it for burning the trash..

Next Chapter: Something is definitely not right with Greta. Thus, the war is declared… (finally!)

Mata ato de….!!

-isumi'kivic' and Ilde-


	8. Daikenja's Little Game

Title: Pride an Prejudice, a Maruma fic

Author: isumi'kivic'

Beta: Invikta and Mabs-fantasy

Pairings: YuuriWolfram, hints of GwendalGunter and ConradYozak. Oh, the kawaii-ness that is Maruma!

Warnings: As usual, shounen-ai, yaoi, slash, boys love. Definite OOC-ness…and stuff. Yeah, stuff. Not much action, I'm afraid. Hehe. Beware of Daikenja's scheming! XD –hugs Shinou and Murata- Oh, and this chapter might be very corny.. –shivers- Can't help it. I need fluff!!

Disclaimer: I still don't own Kyou Kara Maou, except if Takabayashi Tomo-sensei had received my letter that begged him to adopt me… and accepted my request. –cackles- Which, if you still have the slightest hint of sanity, you know that it won't happen. Pride and Prejudice is owned by Jane Austen, by the way.

A/N: I'm sorry, sorry, so so sorry for the late update! I wouldn't justify myself, therefore I beg your mercy, readers!! Gomennasai!! I'd been drowned not only in another fandom, but also in the fever of Thomas and Uber Cup—it's a badminton tournament—in which my country… lost. –cries- It was so close.. Just wait! Next year we'll win! We'll win over China, we will!! Hear that Yixiao?! We'll be the champion! HECK YEAH!

Ahem, ignore the previous..erm.. shoutout. No offense for the Chinese.. –bows apologetically- It's just.. a craziness of mine. Haha.

Thank you, those who have read the last chapter, and thank you so very much for those who had reviewed the last chapter! Sou ne… from now on I'll include a small response to the anonymous reviewers.. because I felt somehow I neglected them.. X) Gomennasai…

_**youkochibi**__-san: Thank you very much! I'm flattered that you liked it. Hope you enjoy this chapter, too!_

_**LaDyViL**__-san: Thank you! Haha… villain-found-at-the-right-time is indeed cliché, ne? XD But maybe that's why both of us like it. Anyway, I'm glad you enjoyed this fic. This chapter might not heal the suspense-arrow wound, but I hope it could lessen the pain a little. XD_

_**THiaLieN**__-san: Are? You didn't log in? Oh well.. X) Nyaa, Isumi's really glad you're still reading this. And I know you'd like some brotherly affections between the tension, hohoho.. –giggles- Arigatou! Mou, I'm still waiting for your next fic, you know. –pouts- By the way, come on, let's join Infantrum! It's really fun in there!_

And thank you as usual, for my beloved two betas… -hugs- Vivi-sama, Az-sama, what am I without you two? Thank you very much for putting up with a brat like me.. Vivi-sama, thanks for your insistent 'WRITEWRITE' messages that supports me a lot.. Az-sama, for being such a smart beta and helped me a lot with the characters' progress. I am so proud to have you guys as my beta!! Can't ask for more.. you guys are amazing.

For a slight information, this chapter.. erm.. I decided to stray away a little bit from my plan. Just for this chapter, really. There's not much suspense and actions going on in this chapter, because this chapter is dedicated for YuuriWolfram and Murata's mischief. XD

Sore de… before I have anything else off-topic.. let's just get going.. XD

Enjoy the eighth chapter!

--o0o--

"Anata wa hitori janai, yo. Soushi." –Minashiro Tsubaki, Soukyuu no Fafner, ep. 20-

For all the PAX students, thank you for the wonderful year we have shared. I can't believe we'll part so soon.. TT

--o0o--

_**Pride and Prejudice, a Maruma fic**_

_**Chapter Eight: Daikenja's Little Game**_

If there was something more Murata could do, he would've done it.

It wasn't only due to the fact he had promised Shinou to make Yuuri realize his feelings for Von Bielefeld-kyo, but also because the blond mazoku himself had been a good friend—in his own way—for Murata. That, and because Von Bielefeld-kyo himself had similar appearance with that of the original King of Shin Makoku.

Every time Murata saw the youngest son of Cecilie looking at Yuuri with such unreadable emotions in his emerald eyes, the Daikenja was reminded of Shinou's own misery. Probably that was why he really wanted to help.

His steps brought him closer and closer to the figure of the Maou on the balcony. Of course, Murata was aware that Shibuya had his own problems right now, and that this whole Black Dawn ordeal would distress everybody. But the Daikenja figured that a little game couldn't hurt anybody. Especially not the so-called Royal Couple.

"Shibuya."

The figure clad in black uniform straightened a little before turning to his best friend. "Murata."

"Everyone's wondering where you've been." Murata stepped to stand next to the other double black boy. "What are you doing here? We're supposed to leave before the afternoon ends, you know."

"Aah… I just don't want to go back to my room."

"Did you have another fight with Von Bielefeld-kyo?"

Yuuri's response came a second too late. "... not really."

Murata smiled. Only idiots would not catch the hesitation in Yuuri's voice. Sighing, the Daikenja leaned forward to rest his head on the railings of the balcony. Silence fell between the two double black boys for a moment. Murata waited, letting Yuuri sink into his own thoughts.

"Oi, Shibuya." He finally called. "Aren't you tired?"

"Huh?" Yuuri turned a genuinely confused stare at him. "Tired? Not really... it's not like I actually did something tiring today."

"Ah," Murata shook his head in exasperation. "That's not what I mean." Straightening himself, Murata faced his best friend. "Aren't you tired? Of being in denial."

Yuuri blinked several times, his eyebrows knitted in a thinking gesture. Judging by the clueless expression of his friend, Murata could guess that the slightly taller boy didn't comprehend him at all.

"Maa.. it would be much easier for you if he helped," the Daikenja shook his head again, raising his finger to point at his best friend. "Just for a moment, Shibuya."

"He?" that was all Yuuri could say before Murata's pointed finger touched his forehead. A surge of maryoku ran throughout Yuuri's entire being, and his black eyes suddenly glazed for several moments, before they blinked once, gazing back at Murata's black orbs.

Murata smiled, a hint of satisfaction evident in his expression. Yuuri's once innocent, clueless black eyes were now changed into the firm, powerful ones.

"Hisashiburi da ne, Maou-Heika.(1)" The bespectacled boy greeted warmly.

The Maou snickered. "Daikenja. What else have you planned this time?"

"Ah," Murata grinned. "I take it that you know what's going on, then?"

"If this is about the Black Dawn and the curse on Wolfram von Bielefeld, then yes. I am not as clueless as my alter ego, luckily." The Maou sighed inaudibly, turning to lean on the railings.

Murata had to suppress his amused laugh. Even though Shibuya had come a long way, he really is still way below par with the real Maou in himself in almost every aspect, he thought.

"Then, you wouldn't mind if I asked you a favor?" his glasses glinted the light of the sun. "I'm sure in the end it would benefit you too once you and Shibuya have merged into one personality, of course."

The Maou turned to meet the sage's eyes. The wind breezed, flying his now shoulder-length hair. As he caught the glint in Murata's black eyes, he smiled.

"About Wolfram?"

"Yes." Murata smiled secretly. "I promised Shinou to help Shibuya realise his feelings for von Bielefeld-kyo. Apparently, some of the more 'peaceful' ways I have tried didn't work as well as I hoped. Von Bielefeld-kyo proved himself to be more stubborn than I expected, and Shibuya is just about the densest person in the world."

"Ah. So it's time to use the more 'mischievous' way?" the Maou raised his eyebrows in amusement. "Tell me, then, how are you going to proceed with your plan while we're in this whole complicated Black Dawn thing?"

The other boy chuckled. "I have calculated everything. You wouldn't have to do anything but watch. I only want your help to bring Shibuya in."

The Maou's eyes narrowed slightly. "You're not going to do anything to my fiancé, are you?"

Murata returned the gaze mischievously. "Saa.. I wouldn't endanger von Bielefeld-kyo, I promise. It's for the greater good."

An incredulous look he received from the Maou drew a light chuckle from the sage.

"Very well. I trust you." The Maou nodded in agreement. "Just make sure that it works."

"Well, if it doesn't work, I'm pretty sure it would put Shibuya's mind in a turmoil. That is quite enough." Murata murmured. "With Shibuya's legendary denseness, one could never know if this would work."

The Maou sighed. "I understand. Very well, then. In the end, I too will benefit from this."

"Before you go, Maou-Heika," Murata cut him off. "Would you mind telling me what argument Shibuya and von Bielefeld-kyo just had?"

"Nothing's serious." The Maou's eyes darkened, and Murata could catch the regret in those black orbs. "Although I'm quite sure that my other self had been quite harsh this time."

"Ah." Murata nodded. "That's why no one had been seeing von Bielefeld-kyo wandering around this afternoon."

"My other self was thinking about the argument when you came," the Maou smirked. "He regrets it."

"I figured." Murata nodded again. "Well, I'll tell Weller-kyo and von Voltaire-kyo not to worry about him, then. See you soon, Maou-Heika."

The Maou's smirk was the last thing Murata saw before those black eyes glazed once again, and Yuuri's body stumbled forward, unconscious. Murata quickly caught his best friend, grinning sheepishly. Turning to the shadow of the wall, he gestured to a dark figure standing hidden there to come out.

"Help me here, will you, Weller-kyo? Shibuya's quite heavy."

--o0o--

"You look tired," Conrad remarked when he caught up with his younger brother. "Did you sleep last night? Are you sure you're okay?"

"I'm okay." Wolfram answered sharply, a hint of annoyance in his voice. He quickened his pace. "Stop worrying like a mother hen. I'm not a child."

Conrad smiled. "I'm sorry," he said easily keeping up with the blond's quick strides. "Are you sure you're going too?"

"Of course. Greta's safety is my first and most important priority." Wolfram kept his pace, heading towards the meeting room where everyone was congregating at before proceeding to the Kelv Valley.

His older brother nodded, masking his worry behind another smile.

When they entered the room, Gwendal and Murata were there with one of Fuurin's guardians, discussing the best and fastest way to reach the Kelv Valley. Conrad quickly joined them, but Wolfram looked around, examining the room once again. Both Yuuri and Fuurin weren't there, yet.

"Wolfram!"

Wolfram spun around, and caught the sight of Yuuri and Fuurin walking along the hallway. Yuuri waved, seemingly smiling, but Wolfram could see the exhaustion and tension in Yuuri's features.

"Yuuri." He greeted when the latter stopped before him. He averted his eyes from Yuuri's. Fuurin smiled at him, and then continued her stride past him, straight towards Gwendal and the others. Yuuri was about to follow her when Wolfram suddenly grabbed his wrist.

"Wolf...ram?" a pair of questioning black eyes met determined emerald ones. "What is it?"

"I.." Wolfram gulped. He slowly released Yuuri's wrist and fidgeted with the edge of his uniform top. He drew a long breath, and blurted out quickly in a low voice so no one else would hear, "I'msorryaboutbefore."

Yuuri blinked.

"Ha? I'm sorry, Wolfram… I didn't really get what you said..."

"I've said it!" Wolfram turned his head away and crossed his arms in front of his chest in an arrogant manner. "If you didn't hear it, then it wasn't my fault. I shouldn't have to say something twice. Hmph!" with that, the blond strode over to where Gwendal was standing.

Yuuri's eyebrows rose in confusion. "What the..." he shook his head and shrugged.

Once the meeting was started, Gwendal eyed everyone in the room seriously.

"We'll leave in an hour." He stated in a firm tone. "Yozak and the reinforcements will probably come tomorrow morning if there's nothing holding them back. He will also bring the hostage."

Yuuri's expression soured. "There's no choice… except to fight?" he fisted his hand. "I don't... like violence. Even with rebellions..."

Murata looked at Yuuri. "Shibuya, if we don't stop Black Dawn now, they will be a dangerous threat to every country in this universe. There's no choice. As the Maou, you have to face situations like these."

Yuuri nodded weakly; it was obvious that he really didn't want to start a war—even though it would be against a rebellion—but he knew it was necessary. He straightened his posture, and turned to Gwendal. "How are the preparations coming along?"

"They're all good. We're ready. The path to the valley that we're going to take is a little rough, but it's the fastest way to get there. We'll have our camp in a good distance from the valley, exactly in this small village one hour away from it." Gwendal tapped a point on the map.

"Caloria has ordered all the villagers to evacuate their homes," Fuurin continued. "They're all being transferred to the nearby towns."

"Then we'll leave soon." Murata smiled, pushing his glasses up. He threw his glance at the window, and his smile grew wider mischievously, if not a little wicked.

It's really going to be an amusing journey. _Too bad you're not here to watch, Shinou_.

--o0o--

Kelv Valley…

Greta sat down before the window in the room she was in, eyes gazing straight forward without any glimpse of emotion in it. She turned slowly when she heard the sound of her room door opening.

A figure with flowing silver hair clad in a long, black cloak stared at her, smiling.

"My Princess." He said, making a polite bowing gesture.

Greta blinked, her expression blank as she stared at him.

"Father." She moved and knelt for a moment, before Isenbert approached her and pulled her back onto her feet. Turning back to the window, she sat back down on the chair. Isenbert stood next to her, his hand caressing Greta's brown curls.

"My little princess," he murmured. "I will need your help today. You will help your beloved father, won't you?"

Greta turned a pair of glazed brown eyes towards the figure she called 'father'. Somehow, a tiny portion of her mind whispered that something was different. That she wasn't supposed to... listen to him… but…

"Yes, Father." She quickly answered, remembering how yesterday her 'father' had told her to ignore any strange voices in her head. She didn't quite remember, but her 'father' told her that she had been cursed by a magician, and the 'devil' was still inside her. Those strange voices belonged to the devil, her 'father' had said. She must not listen to it.

And she was a good girl. So she listened to her 'father'. After all, all good girls did, right?

"How can I help, Father?"

"A war will break soon." Isenbert continued. "The Maou who had ordered the magician to curse you is coming here to announce a war against us. He didn't like our little kingdom that we had built for years. He wants to destroy us," lowering his head so he was in the same eye level with Greta, Isenbert went on. "We must not let them defeat us."

Greta was silent for a while. Our little kingdom, her 'father' said. But she didn't remember how her 'father' had built his kingdom which he had named Black Dawn. In fact, she couldn't quite remember anything else except the fact that she was Greta, a daughter of Isenbert, the King of Black Dawn.

And as the princess of Black Dawn, it was her duty to help her 'father'.

"What do I have to do?"

A satisfied smile crept up on to Isenbert's face. "You will come with me to confront the Maou. And because you are so very, very brave, my little princess, I have decided to give you the most important task in this war."

From his long, black coat, Isenbert drew out a sharp, simple, short, silver-painted knife. The point of the knife glistened under the sunrays, and in one glance Greta knew it was poisonous.

"I want you to stab the Maou with this."

Greta looked up. "Kill... him?"

Isenbert laughed. "No. No.. don't. I just want you to stab him, enough for the poison to run into his blood. This poison wouldn't kill him. It would only immobilize him long enough for us to capture him," Isenbert lowered his voice. "We need him. Whatever happens, don't kill him. Do you understand?"

Raising her small hands, Greta accepted the silver knife. She laid eyes on it for a moment, before looking up, trying not to show the uncertain thoughts she was having.

"Yes, Father."

--o0o--

Conrad eyed the Daikenja in a doubtful manner. "Geika... I don't think it's wise to do this at this time. We're all supposed to be concentrating on saving Greta..."

"Ah, Weller-kyo," Murata made a 'tsk' sound. "Are you saying that your younger brother's happiness is less important than Hime-sama's safety?"

"It's not that!" Conrad quickly denied. "It's not about... that. But Greta right now is..."

"I am very much aware of the situation, Weller-kyo," Murata said absently, and turned back to the Caloria soldier who stood next to him. "Saa... I think I have hypnotized him well enough. He wouldn't remember anything after my 'scheme' ends." The Daikenja chuckled.

The soldier next to him was a light brown haired boy, slightly taller than Murata, with bright blue eyes. A type of boy everyone would acknowledge as being 'good-looking'. But if one took a look closer, one could see that his blue eyes were actually blank, a sign that his mind wasn't in control.

Conrad sighed inaudibly. "Geika, this is not necessary…"

"Ah, Weller-kyo, but it is." Murata's expression turned into a serious one. "This is necessary. There wouldn't be a perfect time other than this. This whole Black Dawn ordeal had put big pressure upon Shibuya's mind, and this is the perfect time to make him even more stressful."

"I don't quite follow you, Geika." Conrad shook his head as Murata signaled to the soldier to leave. He watched as the young soldier left the two of them.

"You see, Weller-kyo," Murata began. "My aim today is not for Shibuya to realize his feelings for von Bielefeld-kyo. I merely want to put his mind in a little turmoil. I want him to learn to differentiate the confusion and stress he feels because of Black Dawn, and the confusion because of his feelings toward von Bielefeld-kyo.

"You see, Shibuya always tried to reason with his confusion every time he was thinking about his feelings for von Bielefeld-kyo. That's why now; I want to put all the pressure on him at once. I'm quite sure this Black Dawn case would be over way before he figures out his feelings toward von Bielefeld-kyo. When all the pressure of Black Dawn has gone, there would be only the confusion that is caused by his feelings for your younger brother. He'd still think about it, but this time, he wouldn't be able to reason or run away from his feelings anymore. It'll be easier for him to differentiate." Murata paused, and saw understanding dawn on Conrad's face.

The Daikenja smiled. "Eventually he won't be able to run away anymore, then he'll realize how much he actually loves your younger brother." He nodded to himself and said, "this is a perfect time for playing, Weller-kyo. Not to mention that von Bielefeld-kyo is running out of time. Our little Hime would be okay with the Black Dawn, her life is not in danger as long as Isenbert wants her to be the 'last sacrifice'. But your brother.."

"Who's running out of time?"

Conrad nearly jumped when the familiar voice of his godson cut the Daikenja off. He quickly turned around, and his eyes caught the sight of Yuuri walking hurriedly towards them. "Heika!"

"Yaah, Shibuya!" Murata greeted cheerfully. "Where did you come from? You're going to give someone a heart attack if you come out of nowhere like that!"

Conrad frowned a little at the calm demeanor of the Daikenja. Perhaps... he had anticipated that Heika would come here? He shook his head exasperatedly.

"Um..." Yuuri ran his hand through his hair in a confused manner. "I... I'm not really sure how I ended up coming here... I was going to the library. I guess I was thinking too much that I didn't realize I walked here instead..." he laughed nervously, but then changed into a serious demeanor. "Who's running out of time? I heard you guys talking about 'running out of time', 'Greta being the last sacrifice'… is this about Greta?"

Conrad nearly let out a relieved sigh. So Yuuri had only heard snatches of their conversation.

"Conrad?" Yuuri inquired. Conrad smiled apologetically. "Ah... I'm sorry, Heika. But it's nothing, really. Geika was... talking about..."

"I was talking about touring Caloria." Murata shrugged. "But we're running out of time because this whole Black Dawn thing. It annoys me; I can't go around and hunt for some cute girls."

Yuuri scowled. "Murata, this is really not the time for..."

"I know, Shibuya." Murata grinned. "But, hey, I can't help myself! I'm a healthy teenager, and my hormones are..."

"Okay, let's not go there!" Yuuri cut him off, flustered. "Really Murata, I can't understand how a pervert like you could be the powerful Daikenja. Anyway, you were talking about Greta, weren't you? I heard!"

Murata chuckled. "Weller-kyo was worried, that's all. I was reassuring him that our princess would be fine. Isenbert wouldn't harm her. He wants her to be the last sacrifice."

Yuuri turned to Conrad, eyeing the smiling man suspiciously. "Both of you... really aren't hiding something from me?"

Sharp. Murata smiled. It seems that you've progressed a little bit, Shibuya. And the Maou did such a good job in bringing you here while we were talking about your fiancé.

Keeping a silly grin on his face, Murata replied calmly, "Well, it depends on what kind of secret you're talking about. Weller-kyo would definitely keep secrets such about his sex life..."

"GYAH! I'm not listening, Murata, I can't hear you!! I can't hear you, so there!"

Watching Yuuri as he fled from the Daikenja, Conrad couldn't help but let out a small chuckle.

It was nice to have something 'normal' going on... he mused silently.

--o0o--

The journey was boring, or so Murata thought. The thought of how fun his little 'scheme' would be made the whole journey seemed endless. It wasn't that he wasn't worried about Greta, not at all. He thought of the little princess, of course, and about this Black Dawn rebellion and how it would be if they couldn't stop Black Dawn.

But really, he could still have a little fun, couldn't he? It wouldn't hurt anyone.

Glancing sideways, he looked at the figure of the youngest mazoku prince on his favorite white horse. Even up on his horse with his prideful demeanor, Murata could see the exhausted look on the prince's face.

Weller-kyo was right. He is getting worse. Murata mused. So we don't have enough time, after all… I hope Günter really has found a way to break the curse.

"We're here!" Gwendal announced firmly, breaking Murata's thoughts. Murata looked up to examine his surroundings. The small village they were camping in seemed deserted except for a handful of Caloria soldiers that were left in order to guard the village.

It was nearly sunset. The path they took certainly was the fastest, but it still took time. There was no way they were going to Kelv Valley tonight. Even Yuuri must have realized that they had to wait until tomorrow morning.

All the soldiers they brought with them quickly prepared the tents and fire. Fuurin had informed them that they were not to go inside the buildings. She didn't want any of the villagers to suspect them in any circumstances.

Conrad eyed the Daikenja worriedly when he realized that the black haired boy had gone amongst the Caloria soldiers, probably to fetch the light brown-haired soldier he had hypnotized this morning. He decided to just let the Daikenja have his way. After all, the black haired boy had promised there would be no harm caused by his little 'game'.

Slowly but surely, he strode over to where Gwendal stood, glancing over at Yuuri who was talking to Fuurin. Gwendal turned at him when he sensed his younger brother's presence next to him.

"Conrad."

"Gwendal." Conrad plastered a smile on his face, knowing that it wouldn't fool Gwendal. He put it on, anyway. "Is everything going okay?"

Gwendal gave a small "Hn," as an answer, and gazed back to where he was staring before. Following his older brother's gaze, Conrad sighed.

Wolfram was standing in front of a tent, talking to a Shin Makoku soldier, probably inquiring something. But what Conrad noticed the most is how exhausted and worn out his younger brother seemed, and he was sure that Gwendal noticed it, too.

"Maybe you're right." Gwendal murmured all of a sudden. "Maybe I should've sent him home."

Putting his hand on his brother's shoulder, Conrad patted him several times. "There's no use to think about that," he said. "All we can do now is protect him."

Gwendal nodded. "Yes. We promised Hahaue."

"So you said." Conrad's smile widened as he removed his hand from his brother's shoulder. His lips thinned when he glanced back at Wolfram's direction and caught a sight of the light brown-haired soldier from Caloria walking over the blond mazoku.

Reminding himself of Murata's promise, he turned around and said, "Care to have some tea? You need to loosen up a bit, Gwendal."

Gwendal gruffed. "Like you're one to talk."

But he turned around and followed Conrad to one of the tents.

--o0o--

"Von Bielefeld-kyo."

Catching the melodious voice, Wolfram turned around only to face a Caloria soldier smiling at him. Wolfram eyed the soldier. Judging by the soldier's appearance and uniform, his position was quite high in the Caloria Cavalry.

"Is there something you need?" Wolfram caught the smiling cerulean eyes of the soldier. The soldier's smile widened more as he bowed politely before the blond mazoku prince.

"No, not at all," the soldier laughed gently, his rich voice rang in Wolfram's ears. "I just noticed how exhausted you seemed, and I thought a nice little walk would cheer you up. Would you mind following me a bit? I would like to show you something." He gestured at the direction of the woods around the small village.

Wolfram hesitated a bit. He knew that this soldier was flirting with him, and the fact that he bluntly offered him a 'walk' just to be alone with him actually exasperated the blond mazoku. But taking a nice little walk to the seemingly beautiful woods around the small village sounded very good... and he needed to freshen up.

Glancing slightly to where Gwendal was standing before, he saw his two brothers going off to one of the tents. He shrugged, and then looked over where Yuuri was engaged with Fuurin in a seemingly serious conversation. Upon the sight, Wolfram felt a scowl creeping up on his face.

Oh well, maybe it wouldn't matter if he just took a little walk. He needed someone who knew the way through the woods anyway, so it wasn't like he was cheating on Yuuri_. Right?_ Right.

So the blond prince turned back to the Caloria soldier and offered him a polite, tiny smile. "Of course. Thank you."

The blue eyes of the soldier brightened as he smiled widely, and led Wolfram into the woods.

From the side of a tent, Murata followed the sight of the soldier and Wolfram with his black eyes. A smile was curved perfectly on his face, expressing his excitement, satisfaction and anticipation.

"Aah, phase one is complete. Well done, indeed," he chuckled in amusement. "I did pick the right soldier to do this. I guess I have to thank Lady Fuurin for recommending him for my little game." He pushed his glasses up a little, and it gleamed with the afternoon sunrays. "Now, it's time for the Maou to get into the action."

--o0o--

Yuuri blinked. Again. And again.

"Where am I?"

The double-black boy turned around to examine his surroundings. Trees, and trees everywhere. He frowned. The last thing he remembered was smiling to Fuurin who had excused herself to take care of something. And then…

He shook his head to clear his thought, but no recollection of how he got here in the middle of the woods by himself came. Alone. He ran a hand through his black hair. Surely Conrad or Wolfram wouldn't let him go into the woods by himself! And how come he didn't remember going into the woods?

"Ooiii!" he yelled half-heartedly, kicking a pebble as he walked forward to look for any signs of his friends. "Anybody here?! Conrad?! Wolfram?! Murata?! Gwendal?!"

No answer. He sighed, scratching his head in childish confusion. This wasn't good, right? They were near the Black Dawn territory, and he wasn't supposed to go wandering around by himself. Yuuri thinned his lips. Was he lost? Definitely. He didn't know how to get back to the small village..

Okay, Yuuri decided. This wasn't good at all.

A sound of feet moving against the grass startled him. He quickly turned to the source of the sound. It came from behind the tall, thick bushes around the trees to his right side. Yuuri gulped nervously, his hand unconsciously moving to touch Morgif, who cooed softly as it sensed someone's presence.

Stepping forward hesitantly, Yuuri's hand moved to brush away the bushes to make way for himself. He was only halfway through, though, when his movement was instantly halted as he saw the sight before him.

"Wolfram." He breathed inaudibly.

The blond mazoku was there, leaning against a tree. His eyes were closed, and his breathing was even, a sure indication that he was sleeping. His golden locks fell on his face, his right hand limp on his side, while the left crossed his stomach. His expression was of one who hadn't slept in a week, tired yet peaceful.

Somehow, Yuuri felt an urge to take the sleeping mazoku into his arms and hold him until he woke up. He knew it was silly—Wolfram was strong, very strong—but in this sleeping state, Wolfram looked more vulnerable than ever that Yuuri felt the need to cradle and protect him. The sight of how open and vulnerable Wolfram was and how small he looked in the midst of these dangerous woods struck Yuuri with slight fear of losing the selfish prince…

Shaking his head, Yuuri forced himself to get rid of the thought. His eyes then focused on the sleeping prince. Wolfram looked… beautiful. Well, he was as beautiful as ever, Yuuri admitted that, but the tired, peaceful face of the blond prince gave Yuuri an impression like the blond had just been released of a heavy burden.

Yuuri unconsciously gulped in nervous excitement as he started to approach the blond. But before he could step into the clearing he heard sounds of someone's walking towards them. The Maou fell back into his hiding place, his hand ready on Morgif.

A Caloria soldier appeared from the other side of the tree, holding something that looked like a wet cloth in his hand. Yuuri frowned in dislike as he watched the former kneel beside Wolfram and bent over his fiancé, taking the stray golden locks and tucking them behind the prince's ear, and wiped the wet cloth across the blond's forehead in a loving manner.

Something burnt in Yuuri's chest, and somehow he felt hard to breath. Anger started to boil up in his mind, telling him to stand up and get that unworthy Caloria soldier off of his fiancé. But he kept silent and watched the soldier running the wet cloth along Wolfram's neck.

Not once did Wolfram even twitch from the touch. Yuuri scowled. This was exactly why sometimes he hated the fact that Wolfram was a deep sleeper.

"Beautiful.." he heard the soldier murmured. "Always so beautiful. Capturing everybody's eyes and hearts as well when he strolls away.. so beautiful, so strong, so… perfect."

Yuuri's eyes widened as he watched the soldier leaned in towards the blond's face—too close for his liking—and rested his forehead against Wolfram's, his lips inching closer to Wolfram's…

That's it.

Yuuri quickly stood up, and before he knew it, the words sprang free from his mouth, "What do you think you're doing?!"

The soldier stopped in his movement to turn and face Yuuri. His expression was blank when he saw the Maou. Instead of panicking, he moved away from the sleeping prince, and knelt before the Maou.

"Maou-heika." He acknowledged. "My apologies."

Yuuri frowned. "What the hell..? "Why are you here? And what do you think you're doing? Wolfram's asleep!"

The soldier nodded calmly, and looked up to meet Yuuri's angry black eyes. Quickly, he got up on his feet and made his way out of there, leaving Yuuri alone with the sleeping prince.

Yuuri breathed out, allowing his anger to subside. He opened fist he had unconsciously clenched while he watched the soldier and brought it up before his eyes. His palm was sweating.

"Yuu...ri…?" a small whisper reached his ears, startling him. He turned to the previously sleeping prince, who was now looking up at him with half-lidded eyes, glazed in an induced sleep stare. He wasn't fully awake, yet, Yuuri was aware of the fact.

"Wolfram." He stepped closer to the blond prince and sat next to him. Smiling, he continued, "Why are you sleeping here?"

"…I'm tired..." Wolfram murmured sleepily, his eyes drooping several times. He yawned lightly, and scooted closer to Yuuri. Leaning his head on Yuuri's shoulder, he murmured, "You're warm."

"Ah? Haha.." Yuuri nervously laughed, completely forgetting where they were. On impulse, he reached for some stray golden locks and tucked them neatly behind his fiance's ear. "You're really tired aren't you?"

"Mmhm..." Wolfram replied almost inaudibly, snuggling closer to the source of the warmth that was Yuuri. He looked up, his sleepy emerald orbs locked with Yuuri's black ones. For a moment, Yuuri was lost in an endless sea of emerald hue.

"Yuuri..."

His heart thumped loudly, making his ears ring and his chest feel like it was going to explode. His breath was caught in his throat as Wolfram's face went up closer, closer... the heat between them was constantly growing..

"Wolf-…" he began, his eyes glazed, unaware of his surroundings and what he was doing. What he knew was that Wolfram was there, before him, looking up at him and getting closer and closer and he didn't care nor mind about anything else going on right now..

"Yuuri..."

And Wolfram's head dropped onto his shoulder, his eyes completely closed, his breathing even.

He fell asleep.

Yuuri stared blankly straight ahead, his face flushed, and his heart was beating really fast he could barely breathe. His eyes glazed for several moments in a happy-excited-unconscious shine, before he looked down to see the sleeping prince snuggled up on him.

What was that? Yuuri thinned his lips. What had just happened? I… Wolfram... we were...

"Shibuya! There you are!"

Yuuri's head jerked in shock at the familiar voice of his best friend. He turned his head as best as he could without waking the blond prince up, and saw Murata and Conrad coming towards him. Conrad was walking in a brisk haste, a rare frown marring his features as he saw his brother in a deep sleep after so stubbornly resisting any rest earlier on. It only highlighted to him the severity of his brother's conditions and how it was only getting worse.

"Conrad! Murata!" Yuuri exclaimed in a hushed tone. "I'm glad you guys are here. I'm kind of... stuck here. Help? Wolfram's sleeping, I don't want to wake him up. He looked exhausted."

Conrad was the first one to reach Yuuri and Wolfram's side. The smile returned to the man as he bent over to pick Wolfram up. Yuuri watched in fascination as his Godfather lifted up Wolfram's body like it was a feather pillow not knowing the action spoke of Conrad's utmost fear of the possibility of losing his brother permanently.

"I see you're getting cozy, Shibuya," Murata commented, chuckling. Yuuri frowned as he caught a somewhat satisfied tone in Daikenja's voice. He turned back to Conrad who was adjusting Wolfram's position in his arms, missing how his godfather lovingly smoothed the golden locks from his younger brother's forehead.

"Let's go back to the camp, Heika, Geika," Conrad gestured them to follow him. "It's almost dinner time. And Gwendal wouldn't like it if he knew that both of you were gone without his permission."

Yuuri scratched his head. "Well... I don't even know how I ended up here in these woods." He shrugged. "It doesn't matter. Let's go!"

As Yuuri followed Conrad, making their way back to the camp, Murata smiled in satisfaction.

"A success, Shinou," he murmured, his glasses gleamed as it reflected the slight sunrays. "Thanks to the Maou who brought Shibuya here in time, of course. Geez... I have so many people to thank.."

He laughed softly and began walking, following Yuuri and Conrad back to their camp.

--o0o--

tbc??

--o0o--

A/N: -dodges rotten tomatoes- Alright, alright! It's not as long as previous chapters,and it was corny, but hey! I'm in a writer's block here! –dodges more tomatoes- Haiii.. gomen gomen!! I'll try my best to do better, promise!! TT

Now, I want to ask, who loves Murata more and more? –grins and raises hand- Me! ME! –giggles- I'm sorry I just cut the action and suspense of this whole Black Dawn ordeal thing, but I think I'm just.. in the need of fluff. Yeah. Ahaha..

Um! Before I forgot, here are some itsy bitsy tiny bits to explain:

(1)"Hisashiburi da ne" pretty much means like "Long time no see." Or that's what I assume.. X) I tried to learn Japanese by myself, so I could never be sure..

(2)I have absolutely no idea if Murata could 'pull out' the Maou from Yuuri. Oh, you know what I mean. So yeah, I made it up for the sake of this fic. And who wouldn't miss the kakkoii-ness of the Maou? I definitely would!

Now, here's the deal. Would you all like me to do shorter chapters, but quick updates, or longer chapters, with longer updates, of course. Ne? I just realized that Mr. D's English class is killing me, and although it's my favorite class, there's just no way I can type every night when I have to read the Scarlet Letter. That novel is interesting, but so so hard to understand, I tell you! TT Nathaniel Hawthorne used such difficult vocabularies.. and hell, English isn't even my native language! How could he expect me to read two chapters every night?! Not to mention I still have one other fic going on..

And writer's block could hit me so suddenly.. like this time, it hit me after the death of Itachi-kun.. uhuhuhuhu…I still can't believe Kishimoto-sensei actually killed him… huhuhu…GIVE ME BACK MY ITACHI-KUN, DAMMIT!! ITACHI-KUN IS MINE! MINE! MY PRECIOUSSSSS!!-courtesy to J.R.R. Tolkien's LOTR series-

Ahem. Well, I think that would be all for now. Thank you for reading this far, and review please? Please please! It'd give me a spirit to write the next chapter. XD Wish me luck with the next chapter, ne??

Next Chapter: Memories flashing.. which one is right, Greta? The battle begins..

Huggies for Minna-san!

-isumi'kivic' and Ilde-


	9. Tension

Pride and Prejudice

Title: Pride and Prejudice, a Maruma fic

Author: isumi'kivic'

Beta: Invikta and Mabs-fantasy

Pairings: Absolute YuuriWolfram, glimpses of ConradYozak, and other pairings

Warning: This story contains shounen-ai and yaoi, definite OOC-ness.. blahblahblah. I don't know why I'm still writing this.

Disclaimer: I don't own Kyou Kara Maou, it's rightfully belonged to Takabayashi Tomo and other respective owner who successfully flipped me out with the third season with all the YuuRam hints and brotherly affections. –squeals-

A/N: Umm… so, I'm back? –laughs sheepishly- This chapter means so much to me.. it would probably be the last chapter of P&P that I write while I'm staying here in Vermont. I'd be going back to my country soon enough, and somehow, it makes me sad. I kinda like it here, although I miss my family and friends a lot..

Thank you very much for the readers who have read this far.. and thank you so so much for those who had reviewed the last chapter. –teary eyes- And those who actually read my moronic, stupid author notes.. thank you for sparing your time to 'listen' to me. You all flattered me. I've never had any of my fic with so many reviews. I know my reviews amount is still nothing compared to some of you, but for me, it matters a lot. So please, once again, read this chapter thoroughly and review, ne? –blinks eyes cutely-

To anonymous reviewers..:

_Wolfie fan_-san_: -blushes- Waah.. hahaha.. I'm flattered. You really liked it, huh? I'm really happy you enjoyed the last chapter. Yes, Murata can always think of that kind of plan, can't he? Khukukukuku... Thank you for reviewing!_

_anonymous_-san: _Thank you! And here you go!_

_AnA_-san: _Gracias! I have no idea how to speak Spanish other than what I've learned from my friends and Dora the Explorer.. because my sister watched it all the time. -shrugs- And your English is good, I understand it, so don't worry! My native tongue isn't English either, so I understand how you feel perfectly. Tequire mucho! (is that right?? XD)_

_LaDyVil_-san: _Thank you for your review and your idea! I've done that, really, but sometimes you really can't help it because block comes without being invited. T-T So, you love Murata more? Yay! highfive Poor Greta or poor Yuuri? I'd say Greta. XD XD_

I'd love to dedicate this chapter for all people I've met in Vermont. For those who has offered their hands in friendship. For those who has accepted me the way I am and changed me so much. For those who has encouraged me to continue writing and singing. I love you all so much

Readers, I want to make friends! More, more friends!! So please, anyone who is interested in being my friend, PM me! And I'll definitely reach out to take your hand in friendship!

My two betas, Az-sama and Vivi-sama, thank you very much for everything. The friendship you have offered through our relationship as an author and her betas is something I would treasure for the rest of my life. I hope you won't ever get tired of me. Hehe..

Saa.. enjoy the ninth chapter!

--o0o--

"Mou daijoubu, yasashii sono te wo matteru hito ga iru kara.. kao wo agete.." –Pieces, L'arc-en-ciel-

For you, Rin-san, I sincerely hope that you'll always be okay and your problems would be over soon. We all love you, so don't forget that, ne?

--o0o--

_**Pride and Prejudice**_

_**Chapter Nine: Tension**_

It was early in the morning when Yozak arrived at the small village. He had stationed the reinforcements on the other side of the village, and placed one of Gwendal's most trustworthy subordinates in charge of the cavalry while he brought the prisoner — Eckhart was his name — to meet Gwendal and the others.

Slowing his horse as he approached the camp, he glanced back at the unconscious prisoner. Anissina's Sleep-Like-A-Bear-In-Hibernation-kun proved to be the most efficient way to bring Eckhart here. With him unconscious, Yozak didn't have to worry about him running away.

"Yozak!" a familiar hushed voice exclaimed when he halted in front of the first tent. Turning around, Yozak saw the familiar figure of the brunette he had cared for most of his life.

"Captain." He acknowledged as he dismounted from his horse, careful not to let Eckhart fall off. Conrad came into his view, smiling widely. He returned the smile.

"How was your journey?" Conrad asked, worry for his friend glinted in his eyes.

"Well, it was interesting, at the very least. As we had expected, many of Black Dawn's spies attacked us on the way here. Thankfully everything went okay, although we lost around ten or twelve soldiers," Yozak's carefree face changed to a grim one. Conrad nodded, wisely choosing to be silent before Yozak turned back his attention to the task in hand.

"Here is the assassin they sent to kill Günter-kakka." He said, gesturing to Eckhart. "What are we going to do with him?"

"Geika was hoping to coax some information from him. Especially about how strong Black Dawn is at the moment. We don't want to be reckless." Conrad replied. "I will go and inform Gwendal you're here. Can you place him in the tent over there?"

Following Conrad's pointed finger, Yozak stared at the supposedly empty tent. "Roger that," he winked. "By the way... what's the situation here?"

"Not much has happened." Conrad gave him an amused smile. "I'll tell you something funny later."

Yozak shrugged. "Well, okay then." He moved to steer his horse towards the empty tent. He had barely made it two steps when Conrad called him again. "Yozak?"

"Hm?" he turned, meeting Conrad's eyes with his own.

The brown orbs gleamed, unreadable as usual, as the brunette quickly walked to close their distance. Slowly, he reached out to draw the other man into his arms.

"I'm glad you're safe."

"Aren't I always?" there was a hint of joke in Yozak's voice. Conrad chuckled warmly as he loosened the embrace and Yozak rested his forehead against his.

"There might not be another time like this, you know." Yozak said in a mock solemnity, but Conrad could catch the teasing tone. "Don't you want to make the most of it?"

The brunette smiled.

"Well said, Yozak."

He leaned in and let his lips press to Yozak's, relishing every second they had together.

Maybe for them, there was never a certain future. But that was what made everything they had much more precious.

--o0o--

When Wolfram opened his eyes, everything was bright.

He yawned widely, somehow feeling a little fresh despite the exhaustion was not completely gone, and slowly sat up. The sunrays were sneaking into his tent, brightening everything that surrounded him. Idly, he ran a hand through his disheveled golden hair.

"Good morning." A gentle voice from the corner of the tent caught his attention, and he quickly turned. The sight of his second older brother smiling down at him somehow gave him a peaceful feeling. A good feeling to start the day, really.

Conrad walked over to where he was. "I'm sorry. Did I wake you up?" his smile was apologetic. Wolfram only watched as the half-human knelt beside to him, his smile still plastered on his face as he scrutinized Wolfram's figure. "Are you feeling okay?"

Even though it was hidden, Wolfram could catch the slight worry in the brunette's expression.

Shaking his head to answer his brother, Wolfram pushed aside the blanket and rose to his feet. "I'm fine." He snorted. "Just a little tired. Where's Yuuri?"

"Right now, he's with Gwendal. We are to move as soon as you're ready." Conrad finally stood up. Suppressing a sigh, he said quietly, "Wolfram, you know you don't have to…"

A glare was quickly directed towards the brown-haired man. "I'm going," Wolfram hissed, his tone was slightly raised. "There's nothing wrong with me and you know that. Stop treating me like a child! I'm strong, and I don't need your protection anymore!"

If he was shocked at the blond's exclamation, Conrad never showed it. Instead, his expression turned into a bright smile, and Wolfram could see how fake it was as he continued, "Alright, then. We're waiting for you outside. Take your time."

Wolfram watched his brother's back as the brunette exited the tent. He exhaled a long breath. Really, sometimes his brothers just couldn't understand. He had to go. He was Greta's other father...

Wolfram's lips thinned at the thought. Well, maybe not for long. But that was why he had to make the most of his time before he could finally rest. Even if this rest wouldn't be peaceful. He had no idea what it would be like to be trapped between life and death, but he was quite sure it wouldn't be pleasant.

He grabbed his usual blue uniforms, idly wondering who had changed him into his pajamas last night and finally decided he didn't really care, and hastily changed into them. Once he was done, he took his sword with a deliberate movement, examining his beloved weapon for several moments, then placing it in its rightful place by his side.

After glancing around, making sure he wasn't forgetting anything, he walked out of the tent.

Today would not be a pleasant day. He could already sense it.

--o0o--

It had been nearly half an hour since they left the small village, Murata calculated. It would only take about more or less ten minutes to reach Kelv Valley. Actually, the Daikenja was quite surprised there wasn't any surprise attacks since they left the village and had gotten closer to the territory where Black Dawn was. In fact, their journey had been peaceful enough...

At the thought, Murata glanced sideways to where his best friend was riding Ao. Yuuri looked lost in his own thought, and Murata could only imagine how the chaos in Yuuri's mind was like. The young Maou had a lot to think about now, and that fact actually amused the Daikenja.

His plan had been very successful. As far as Yuuri knew, there wasn't anyone else who witnessed the 'cuddle incident'—as Murata proudly, and silently, named it. Conrad and Murata himself might have come to find the so-called Royal Couple in such position, but Yuuri didn't—and would never, Murata solemnly swore—know that the two of them had witnessed every single moment of the little scheme. For Yuuri, there was only he and Wolfram.

And Wolfram didn't remember anything, as he was practically half-asleep—Yuuri was mostly aware of the fact—so Yuuri couldn't actually discuss the incident with anyone and have that someone helped him sorting his feelings. He would have to sort them by himself. That way, Murata was certain, even though it might take quite some time, Yuuri would eventually realize his feelings on his own.

A satisfied smile made its way to the bespectacled boy. Aah.. he thought in amusement. I wonder if Shibuya will still mess up, even with this. I hope not. We really don't have time. He glanced at where a certain blond prince was riding his horse, exhaustion still evident in his face.

Well, at least I've done what I could. I really want to know, though-… huh?

Murata's thought was interrupted by a sudden halt from Gwendal, who rode in front of them. The Daikenja cocked his head thoughtfully as he looked past Gwendal's shoulder to see the cause of their halt.

"Ah," the soukoku smiled and pushed his glasses up, making it glint under the bright sunrays. "In the end, they did not disappoint my expectations."

There was an angry hiss coming from the blond mazoku prince, and a sharp gasp from Yuuri. Murata could practically heard Gwendal gritting his teeth, and he could feel Conrad's tension from behind them.

"It's them." Fuurin breathed.

There, up on the small hill they were heading, stood Isenbert and at least ten of his people—mazoku and humans—with their horses. The 'King' of Black Dawn smirked down at them, a hint of satisfaction evident in his expression.

"Welcome, Maou-Heika and the Queen of Caloria!" He bowed in a mock salutation. "I, Isenbert von Gottfried, am very honored to be able to welcome you in my small Kingdom, Black Dawn," he paused, and moved aside a little, allowing Yuuri and the others to see what was behind him. "And, of course, to introduce you to my beloved heir."

A familiar little girl with curly brown hair, clad in black lolita dress sat behind him on the horse, looking at the Maou's party with an expressionless face.

Yuuri and Wolfram gasped. "Greta!"

Isenbert smiled. "I see you recognize my heir."

"Give her back!" Wolfram shouted angrily. "You have no right to her!"

A shrill laugh came from Isenbert's mouth. "Ah, but she knows her place," he glanced slightly at Greta, smiling down. "Don't you, Greta?"

With toneless voice, Greta answered, "Yes, Father."

Yuuri's eyes widened.

"Fa…ther?" he breathed in disbelief. All power suddenly drained from his body, and he felt like he'd fallen off Ao if it wasn't for Wolfram shouting, "What did you do to her?!"

"Eh?" the Maou turned to his fiancé. "Do… Wolfram?"

"You did something to her, didn't you?" Wolfram's body shook as he tried to suppress his anger and not carelessly burn everything around him. "Greta... our Greta is always full of emotion! Never, ever would she react in such way! What did you do to her?!"

Greta's face changed slightly at the blond's exclamation. Somehow, something repeatedly nudged her in her mind, telling her to leap off the horse and run from her 'father'. She closed her eyes tightly, trying to ignore the voice. _Remember, Greta, it's the evil's voice! You shouldn't listen to it!_

Steeling herself, she grasped Isenbert's black cloak, looking for reassurance. "Father..."

Before his 'father' could respond, another yell came from the Maou. "Greta! It's me, Yuuri! Don't you remember?" It sounded so desperate, and yet, there was genuine worry and love in it that made Greta couldn't help but turn to meet the Maou's eyes.

Her eyes widened. _Yuuri? Who? Who is Yuuri? Why do I feel that it's very important? She raised her hands to grip the sides of her head, eyes never leaving Yuuri's. Those eyes... they're so familiar... so important... but why? Why am I…?_

One strong arm belonging to Isenbert enveloped her, and she was snapped out of the shock. She heard Isenbert's voice, saying something about remembering her important task and ignoring the evil voices in her head, however, she couldn't avert her eyes frome the Maou's. There was something... something that offered her comfort and…love…

"Greta! Don't listen to him!" another voice, angry yet still melodious made her snap her head to turn towards the source: the blond prince. Their eyes met, and Greta was taken aback at the intensity in those beautiful emerald eyes.

Images flashed before her eyes; of days in the library, listening to the melodious voice reading her stories, of afternoons on the vast field, running around and looked up teasingly at the obsidian eyes who tried to catch her…

_What is this?!_

"Father..." Greta grasped Isenbert's arm, desperate for a comfort zone. "Father..."

Isenbert mentally sighed, realizing that the hypnosis effect had weakened. He nodded at Dethleff who was positioned next to him. Dethleff quickly grabbed Greta and sat her down on his own horse, before turning back and riding away from the place.

"She's just a little girl! How could you involve her?" Fuurin cried, anger flashing in her blue eyes.

Isenbert smirked. "If you want to get her back, you'll have to fight us."

"That option is chosen." Gwendal growled, anger glinted in his eyes. He raised his hand, and at the exact moment, Conrad, Yozak, and Wolfram closed their positions around Yuuri and Murata. Fuurin's guardians also secured their positions around the blue-haired woman. Yuuri noticed the soldiers around them falling into their their fighting stance, and the tension mounted.

"As expected of Shin Makoku." Isenbert chuckled maniacally. He nudged his horse to step back and turned around, as his ten men closed around him. "We'll see you in the battlefield, then."

With that, he and his ten men rode away from the hill.

"Wait!" Yuuri cried, ready to leap after them, but Murata cut him off, "Don't be reckless, Shibuya! This place is their area, and they know it better than anybody else! They have the advantage. Chasing them is not a wise decision."

Gwendal grunted. "Unfortunately, that is right."

"I know the area around here quite well," one of Fuurin's guardians spoke. "I grew up in the village, so I could still remember what's around here. It might not be accurate, though."

The man pointed at the direction where Isenbert and his people had gone. "If we follow them to that direction, we'll come into a dale surrounded by three small hills and a big lake. Most likely they wanted to trap us there and surround us from the hill, taking the advantage of high places."

Gwendal nodded. "Then, we have to avoid the dale at all cost."

"If we go around and take that trail," Fuurin's guardian pointed to their left. "There will be a shortcut that goes across a vast meadow to the hills. If we are to fight in the meadow, we'll have the advantage because they'll be outnumbered."

Gwendal turned to one of his trustworthy soldiers he had sent to spy on Black Dawn the day before. "How much further is it until Black Dawn's hiding?"

"Not much further, Kakka. In fact, I found a hidden shortcut to their hiding shortly before I left yesterday," the soldier replied. "By the looks of it, it seems no one had used the shortcut for a long time."

The oldest of Cecilie's sons nodded thoughtfully, a strategy had formed in his mind. "Alright then. Go there, bring Yozak with you," he glanced at the orange-haired man and continued, "And bring half of the strongest soldiers among us. Take over Kelv Valley so Isenbert would have no way to get reinforcements. The rest of us would face them in the meadow."

"Roger that." Yozak saluted and turned his horse towards the soldiers to pick some of the best soldiers. As he passed Conrad, the brunette grabbed his elbow. He halted, turning at his captain inquiringly. Conrad's eyes locked with his for a moment, and the brown-haired man whispered, "Stay safe."

Yozak smirked. "Say that to yourself."

Conrad smiled as he let go of his friend.

"Alright!" Gwendal's voice reverberated around them. "Everyone stay alert and be careful!"

Divided into two big groups, the cavalry moved towards two different ways: the meadow and the shortcut to the Kelv Valley. As they proceeded, Yuuri felt his chest tighten with indescribable emotions. He inhaled deeply, trying to calm himself. He would not let the fight to be a bad one. If he had to stop it, he would do so.

"Are you okay, Yuuri?" at the slightly concerned voice, Yuuri turned to meet his fiancé's emerald orbs. He could feel his heart skipped a beat, and mentally cursed the nervousness. What the hell was wrong with him?

"I'm... fine, I guess." He answered, hesitance was clear in his every gesture. "I think I'm just... not sure about the war…"

"Wimp." Yuuri glared at the insult, but Wolfram continued nonetheless, "This isn't a war. We're just fighting the rebels—a huge amount of them. We've attempted to seek peace with them, but they refused. And you can't actually say that we're attacking them. You ordered everybody to attack only if they attacked."

Yuuri was silent, pondering Wolfram's words.

"It's part of being a Maou," this time, there was a soft tone in Wolfram's voice. "If we don't fight them, they'll cause lots of trouble for Shin Makoku. And they have Greta with them. We're getting her back, no matter what."

A new determination suddenly entered Yuuri's mind. "You're right." He took a deep breath and tried to focus his mind. Strangely, this time, doing that wasn't so hard. Somewhat, Wolfram's presence gave him a comfort and confidence he needed at the moment.

--o0o--

Greta sat down on the grass, her eyes closed. She hummed a vague tune as she slowly opened her eyes and raised what was in her hands before her eyes.

The silver knife glinted wickedly under the sun.

"_Stab the Maou with this."_

Carefully, the little Princess fingered the knife, contemplating. Why did her 'father' want her to do this? Didn't he have his soldiers, who surely could do this task better than her? Why did her 'father' seem to hate the Maou very much?

The Maou..

Her 'father' said that the Maou was the one who ordered a magician to curse her.

But was it true? If it was, why did she feel that the Maou was someone very important to her? Someone she was fond of? If she had never seen the Maou before, how could she feel that way? How could she miss him and want him to embrace her protectively—

—_and swung her up and ruffled her hair as she laughed merrily, pulling him along the hallway of the castle, shoving a bouquet of colorful flowers to him and said, "Welcome home, --..!!"_

Her eyes widened.

Welcome… home..? Who? She closed her eyes again, trying to remember the name. It was supposed to be a very familiar name, a name she had always remembered. But no, she couldn't remember. Why couldn't she remember?

She recalled the image again_—she shoved a bouquet of colorful flowers to him and said, "Welcome home,--..!" and twirled around, showing off her new dress. "Look, look! Don't you think it's pretty??"_

"_It's really pretty!" he exclaimed, grinning, and turned to the boy next to him—the boy with golden locks and gleaming green eyes—as the boy nodded, smiling down at her. "It is," he repeated._

_Her eyes danced at the comment. "Really? Thank you, --!"_

Her eyes snapped open. Who was it? The two boys…the Maou and the blond prince... she felt that they were important for her. They held a huge part of her that made her want to run to them and hug them—

—_pulling them to the flower garden to meet a figure with brown hair and warm brown eyes, smiling gently at her as she exclaimed, "We're going to have a picnic together! Come on, --..!"_

"_Of course, Greta." And the older man followed the three of them, chuckling at her antics._

Unconsciously, Greta gripped the small knife harder. _No, I shouldn't be thinking about this. Father said these thoughts are evil's doing. I shouldn't... find out who they are._ There was a good reason for that. Her 'father' didn't want her to, and a good girl always obeyed her father's wish. And she had to be a good girl—

—"_For being a good girl," her eyes widened in excitement at the sight of the cute, hand-knitted cat doll that was being offered to her by a gray-haired man. She looked up, grinning._

"_Uwaaah! What a cute cat!!" she exclaimed, taking the small doll from the man's hand. The man coughed a little, and grunted, "It's a fox."_

_She blushed. "Well, it's still cute!! Thank you, --!"she turned to look at the other man in the room, a man with long silver locks who was trying to hold his nosebleed at the sight of the affection between the gray-haired man and her. "Umm... maybe I should find some bandages or something for you, --…"_

Who were they?

"Princess Greta."

Greta's head snapped up at the voice calling him. Before her, Dethleff stood, looking down at her expressionlessly.

"It's time."

She gulped, fear crept into her mind. Nonetheless, she stood up, shaking a little as she nodded and followed Dethleff.

Taking a deep breath, she tried to forget all the images. No, it was all evil's doing, trying to make her to be a bad girl by not obeying her 'father'. Yes, yes, it had to be. Greta shook her head.

_I'll make Father proud. I will succeed. I will stab the Maou. With my own hands._

--o0o--

Yuuri's hand that rested on Morgif was trembling.

No, it wasn't that he was afraid. Okay, maybe he's afraid of fighting, but just a little. He had been in much more dangerous situations before—involving Shinou and the boxes—and he managed to pass everything without anybody getting killed. But now...

The fact that he had no choice except to fight—and that this time he might not be able to prevent any deaths... that was what made his hands tremble.

Next to him, Fuurin was looking determined at the rebels before them, and for once, Yuuri envied the strength of women. He might only be 16, and he might not have that much experience in his life, but he knew how strong women could be. Fuurin, for example, or Cecilie, or his own mother…

"Yuuri-Heika, are you alright?" Fuurin caught his eyes. She looked at the nervous Maou. "What's the matter?"

Yuuri's face tightened. "I don't... like this." He sighed. "I've always been trying to have everything in peaceful ways... and now I feel like I'm betraying my own policy."

Fuurin smiled. "Yuuri-Heika, everybody knows we have no choice. Everybody knows your daughter is in their hands. Every country in our alliance knows that if we don't fight, Black Dawn would soon conquer the world. No one blames you."

"It's not only that..." Yuuri said hesitantly. "I'm... even though I have my maryoku… this is still the humans land and I would have a hard time using it. I'm... not sure if I can prevent any deaths..." he cast his eyes down. "I wish I could, but..."

"You wimp! Be sure, then!" Wolfram's annoyed voice cut him off. Yuuri turned to him, surprised. The blond gave him a stern look.

"Look, Yuuri, if you don't believe in yourself, everything wouldn't turn out like what you had wanted. I'm not guaranteeing there will be no death in this fight..." he paused at Yuuri's tightened expression, but continued, "You have to be sure, have faith in yourself. You're strong, so if something goes wrong, you'll be able to prevent more deaths. That's what's important."

Fuurin smiled. Von Bielefeld-kyo has his own way of reassuring Yuuri-Heika without lying, she thought. I admire him for that. He's such a perfect match for Yuuri-Heika. "Your fiancé is right, Yuuri-Heika." She chuckled.

Yuuri flushed. "I'm... Fuurin-san! It's not the time for...!"

"They're coming!" Conrad's voice cut them off. "Everyone, get ready!"

"Stay close, wimp." Wolfram drew his sword as Yuuri followed suit. "Don't lose sight of me or Weller-kyo. Understand?"

"Heh..." Yuuri smiled nervously. "I'm not a child, Wolfram."

Before them, a whole cavalry of Black Dawn rushed forward, Isenbert at the very front, leading them. Humans and mazoku melded together, and if one looked from afar, it would look very much like strong, huge waves moving in a rapid pace, ready to drown everything on its way.

Yuuri took a deep breath. This was it. He didn't have any choice. But he could still do something… yes...

"Everyone!" he shouted, his voice reached every single soldier of Shin Makoku and Caloria despite the cries of battle from Black Dawn. "Try not to kill anybody!"

Fuurin's head snapped in awe. Yuuri-Heika…

Murata shook his head in amusement, while Conrad suppressed an understanding chuckle. Gwendal sighed, but it wasn't an exasperated sigh, merely an amused one.

Wolfram smiled, his eyes focusing forward. That wimp. As you wish, then, Yuuri…we'll try.

As if answering Wolfram's unspoken obedience, the whole soldiers of Shin Makoku and Caloria cried in unison, giving Yuuri a sign that they would follow his wish.

Yuuri exhaled. He wasn't completely relieved, but it felt like something heavy had just been removed from his shoulders. Smiling softly, he murmured, "Thank you, everyone."

As Black Dawn came closer, Yuuri's grip on Morgif tightened.

And the next second he knew, the battle had begun.

--o0o--

The sounds of swords clashing were sometimes deafening, Yozak thought as he knocked off his opponent. Glancing around, he examined his surroundings.

Kelv Valley was quite a good hiding place before they came. And, as Gwendal had suspected, it was guarded with skillful soldiers who were left behind for reinforcement for the battle. Yozak had led the surprise attack, and it went quite well, too. The battle was still going on heatedly, but he could see that none of the Shin Makoku or Caloria soldiers were having a hard time.

Dodging another attack, he cornered his opponent and disarmed him before knocking him off. Idly, his thoughts flew to the information they had gotten from the Eckhart person this morning. Murata's idea to coax information from Eckhart had been brilliant. The prisoner didn't only give them the predictions of how strong Black Dawn was, but also the outline of Black Dawn's plan, their hiding's strengths and weaknesses, how many members there were—well, practically everything he knew.

Yozak had to admit that Murata was quite an expert in intimidating someone. He does have 4000 years worth of experience, the orange-haired man thought with a chuckle.

Based on the information Eckhart had given them, Yozak and the others were able to launch a surprise attack. And so far, everything went well. As far as he cared, no one had died yet. He was a little surprised by the fact that there was no woman or children, but then reminded himself that, in Isenbert's eyes, they would only be burdens.

Slashing towards his enemy, Yozak leapt to the biggest house built in the valley. If he were to guess where Isenbert lived, it would be in the biggest house. And where Isenbert lived meant where the Princess of Shin Makoku was.

He quickly finished off the guards in the house and entered, only to find no one in it, to his dismay. Gritting his teeth, he ran out of the house.

They must have had brought Greta somewhere.

--o0o--

Sitting on the horse behind Dethleff, Greta trembled.

_I have to do this. I have to. For Father.. I have to do this._

_No, I can't! They're... the Maou... the prince... and their friends... they somehow hold meanings to my life... I can't!!_

In her mind, a battle was raging, and she couldn't let any of them to win.

"Princess." Dethleff's expressionless tone snapped her out of her thoughts. "We're going to go straight to where the Maou is. There, you do what your father had asked you to do."

Greta nodded hesitantly. "I… I understand…"

As if it was a cue, Dethleff's horse leapt forward at once, bringing them into the midst of the battle.

--o0o--

tbc

--o0o--

A/N: So? Yeah, that's it. The shortest chapter I've ever written since the first chapter. dodges rotten tomatoes Hahaha. I just need some more time to make the battle scene, which equals to suspense and tension, which I'm not really good at. TT But it's written, so once my betas are done with it, I'm going to post it.

If there's any of you out there who can tell me where I can download the last chapter of the manga Spiral-suiri no kizuna-…please tell me!! I'm dying of curiosity here.. TT

Anyway, thank you very much for reading this far. Please review and tell me what you think of this chapter! I'd love to hear more constructive criticisms or enthusiastic reviews. As for flames, really, my school located near the fire station, so I don't care about it.. XD

Cookies, everyone? XD One review helped spreading the YuuRam love!

Next chapter: The battle raged on. Not only swords clashed, but also feelings.

Sincerely,

-isumi'kivic' and Ilde-


	10. Th Clash of Everything

Pride and Prejudice

Title: Pride and Prejudice, a Maruma fic

Author: isumi'kivic'

Betas: Invikta and Mabs-fantasy

Pairings: YuuriWolfram, and glimpses of other pairings.

Warnings: Standard warnings for this fic: yaoi and OOC-ness. Other than that… I don't know. Some blood?? XD

Disclaimer: I own Kyou Kara Maou… in my dreams. In reality, they belong to Takabayashi Tomo and other respective owners. Pride and Prejudice belongs to Jane Austen. I don't own any of the characters and details, nor do I make any money from this fic. And everybody knows that. So why am I still writing this again?

A/N: Wuah! So last chapter actually wasn't the last chapter I'd be writing in Vermont. –giggles- I don't know.. maybe this one would. Hah. I have so many ideas playing in my head, but I absolutely have no idea how am I going to write them and make the plot and so on.. so I'll just stop right here.

Thank you for those who have read the last chapter, and thank you so much for those who had reviewed the last chapter! You guys really had brightened my day! XD –dance- This really is my first fic which has more than a hundred reviews…-in tears- Thank you thank you very much for your supports!

Response to anonymous reviewers..

_Panda_-san: Arigatou!! Your review made me so happy! And yes, saudara sebangsa dan setanah air, minta e-mailmu dong! Mari kita berteman!!

And of course, I wouldn't forget my lovely, lovely betas: Vivi-sama and Az-sama, for helping me in this fic. You guys are awfully smart it makes my self-esteem down sometimes.. XD Just joking. Thank you for your patience! This chapter is especially dedicated to both of you. Thank you so much! You guys really are some of the most awesome people I know!!

So, before I start babbling random things, let's get started! Enjoy the tenth chapter!

--o0o--

"And steadfast as Keat's Eremite, not stooping from its sphere. It asks a little of us here, it asks of us a certain height. So when at times the mob is swayed to carry praise or blame to far, we may choose something like a star, to stay our minds on, and be staid."-Choose Something Like A Star, Robert Frost-

For you, Otouto-chan, because I simply miss you and our countless fights.

--o0o--

Pride and Prejudice

Chapter Ten: The Clash of Everything

The battle raged on. In a short moment, many humans and mazoku from both sides had fallen. With honor and pride, they offered their lives, their souls, to protect everything they believed in, regardless of whether what they believed was right or wrong.

Yuuri's chest tightened, his breathing hard, not only from his nervousness and tensions, but also from seeing how many humans and mazoku had fallen from their horses, and he couldn't even know whether they were still alive or not, much less help them. His eyes stung with non-existent tears, and his mind screamed at everyone who could hear him to stop the battle. But he had no choice, his mind knew, and for the first time in his life, Yuuri felt more helpless than ever.

Dodging his opponent, Wolfram yelled, "Yuuri! Stay close!" he backed away a little from his adversary to keep an eye on the figure of his fiancé. Raising his hand, he chanted, "Hear me all particles who dwell in fire… obey this proud mazoku!"

A fire cyclone burst out from Wolfram's direction, conveniently clearing his path. Smirking in satisfaction, he turned around to find Yuuri, and was suddenly stunned.

There, in the midst of the battle, just out of his fire cyclone's reach, Greta stood next to a fallen horse and an unconscious man on the ground, clad in black cloak. Wolfram's eyes widened.

"Greta!" Yuuri was the first one who reacted, and in a second, Yuuri steered Ao and leapt forward towards his daughter. Shocked, Wolfram quickly followed suit, shouting, "Wimp! Don't get careless!!"

"Greta!" Yuuri ignored Wolfram, his eyes focusing on his daughter. Greta looked up, her face full of fear and uncertainty.

"Shibuya!" Murata exclaimed as the Ao dashed past him. The Daikenja looked taken aback and exasperated at the same time. "Shibuya! Aah... acting so reckless again!"

Yuuri was only about two meters away from her when suddenly Isenbert came into view and charged towards the Maou, slashing his sword. Panicking, Yuuri dodged the attack and backed away.

"Yuuri!" Wolfram halted right next to him, his eyes narrowed at the sight of the smirking Isenbert. "Isenbert.."

"Give her back!" Yuuri yelled in frustration. "How dare you… involve her in this battle?!"

"I use everything I can use, Maou-Heika." Isenbert smirked, and once again charged towards him. Wolfram leapt forward and dodged his attack, successfully steering him away from the Maou.

"Yuuri! Get Greta!" the blond hollered, and Yuuri snapped out of his stupor. Hastily, the Maou moved toward the little princess and bent down to grab the little girl. She let out a surprised yelp as Yuuri brought her up on Ao's back, and sat her down before him.

Greta, snapped out of her shock, looked up to meet the Maou's obsidian eyes, and was surprised to find those eyes shone in relief, love, and.. was that happiness?

Drawing Greta into a hug, Yuuri finally let out a relieved sob. "Greta..." he murmured, stroking his daughter's hair. "I'm so glad you're okay…"

Greta was stunned. In her hand, still laid the small, silver knife, and the Maou didn't even notice its existence because he was too happy to have the little girl back. She gripped the knife, knowing that this was the perfect chance to complete her task, to make his 'father' happy, to help—

—"_I can't!" she whined childishly, pouting. "It's really hard to read this! I need help!"_

_The loving obsidian eyes looked at her, and the owner laughed. "Don't worry, Greta, even I still have to learn how to read this."_

_The blond prince who sat down not far from them snorted. "Hmph! It's just because you are a wimp! Greta would be able to understand it in no time at all."_

"_Don't call me a wimp!" the soukoku retorted, pouting. "It's not my fault I can't read the mazoku handwriting! I didn't even grow up here! Geez..."_

_At the childish expression, she laughed. Pinching the soukoku's cheek, she said, "But if we learn together, it would be much more fun and easy, ne, Yuu--?? Ne, --ram??"_

Her eyes snapped open, and the knife was halted in the mid-air. Her eyes brimmed with tears at the image.

_No… I don't want to do this. He's so important to me... they're so important.. I don't want to do this... I can't, I can't, I can't… but I have to! I have to be a good girl, I can't disappoint Father!! I have to stab him, I have to! But I can't… I can't... He's so important... I..._

Her mouth moved, whispering the syllable she could remember. "Yuu..." she paused, closing her eyes, trying to remember the rest. Unable to do so, she whimpered. "…Yuu…? …Ram..?"

"Greta?" The Maou's voice was muffled as he buried his face I her hair. "Greta, it's okay. It's okay."

_No, it's not okay!!_ Her mind screamed. _I have to stab you, I have to complete my task... but I don't want to! I don't want to! I don't—_

—"_I don't want to!!" she yelled back at the blond prince and broke off from his embrace, tears running freely on her cheeks. "What do you mean he's not coming back? Why is he leaving Greta? He promised to come back... you all promised to save him and come back safely!"_

"_He chose Earth, Greta," the emerald orbs stared at her sadly, and she could see the tears he was desperately trying to keep from falling. "He had to choose Earth, because it's where he comes from. Where his family and friends are. Where he belongs."_

_She sobbed. "No, no!! Why did he choose Earth? Doesn't he have friends here, too? Doesn't he have a family here, too? Doesn't he have the two of us as his family? I want him back! I want Yuuri back, Wolfram!!"_

Tears flowed down from her eyes, and sobs racked her body. She felt the soukoku tighten his embrace, murmuring reassuring words in her ears, and she cried harder.

"Yuuri..." she sobbed. Who is Yuuri? "Wolfram..." Who is Wolfram? Who am I? Who is Greta??

The knife glinted under the sun.

She lowered the knife.

_Father wants me to do this... I have to do this..._

_But I can't! If I do, he will suffer. And Wolfram... Wolfram will be sad… so sad... and... and Greta doesn't want to see him sad. Greta doesn't want to stab Yuuri... but Greta has to! Greta has to! But Greta can't... Greta…_

_...Loves them…_

A Black Dawn mazoku rushed forward as the sight of the unguarded Maou, his sword was pointed right upon him, ready to attack...

"AAAAAAAAAAAH!!"

Yuuri gasped in shock as he heard the earsplitting cry emitted from his daughter mouth. Fearfully, he hastily turned his body to see what happened…

…and saw the Black Dawn mazoku growling in pain, holding his wrist where a silver knife stabbed him, before swaying on his horse and falling off. Still in Yuuri's arms, Greta looked at the fallen soldier with wide, fearful eyes, and raised her right hand; the one that had stabbed the knife on the soldier's wrist exactly when he swung his sword at Yuuri.

"Gre...ta.." Yuuri choked out in shock, staring at his daughter's raised hand, seeing splotches of blood on it. Greta trembled in his arms, and he was quickly snapped out of it. He embraced the little girl tighter, a wave of relief surged through his entire being.

"Greta..." he murmured, "You saved my life… Thank you. It's okay, now. It's okay…"

Greta turned to catch the loving black eyes, and at the exact second, images of memory flooded her mind. Her eyes widened, and she burst out crying hard.

"Yuuri, Yuuri! Yuuri!! Yuuri!! Yuurii!! Huwwaaaaa…"

"Shh... Greta, it's alright. It's over. It's alright..."

"Hwaaaaa!! Yuuri!! Scared... Greta's scared... huhuhu..."

"It's okay, Greta. It's okay." Yuuri chanted the words again and again, trying to calm the little princess. He looked up in time to catch a glimpse of Conrad coming from another direction.

"Heika!" Conrad halted right next to him. "Are you two alright?"

Yuuri smiled. "Yeah, we're okay. But I have to get her out of here."

Conrad nodded. "I understand. Follow me, Heika. Stay close!"

--o0o--

Clank!!

Gripping his sword, Wolfram cursed as he felt Isenbert's sword ripping his sleeve and the skin beneath it. He backed away several steps, maintaining his balance on the horse. Gasping, he looked up at the smirking man.

"You're quite good with sword, aren't you, von Bielefeld-kyo?" Issenbert said deliberately. "But unfortunately, your skill is still far beneath my own."

With that, once again Isenbert charged towards him. Wolfram gritted his teeth and dodged. He let out a painful yelp when the sword sliced through his left arm.

"Darn..." he breathed. Not only was he exhausted already, but he couldn't focus on this fight. Yuuri and Greta kept running on his mind. Were they okay? Were they safe?

"It's not over yet!!" Isenbert shrieked victoriously, swinging his sword towards Wolfram's vital areas. The blond backed away and dodged, trying to regain the upper hand. He twisted his sword in order to evade another attack, and thrust it right towards Isenbert's left chest. But Isenbert smiled.

"Hear me all particles who dwell in thunder..." Wolfram's eyes widened, and he was about to back away when suddenly, a jolt of electricity struck his sword and ran through his entire body. He screamed in pain as he slumped forward on his horse. Luckily, his horse sensed the danger and automatically backed away from Isenbert.

Isenbert tsk-ed. "Ah, I was so close..."

Gritting his teeth, Wolfram gripped his sword. "You're... a thunder wielder..."

"Didn't you know that before?" Isenbert raised his eyebrows. "Well, you should be glad you were able to see one of my thunder defenses."

His anger bubbled up. "You talk too much!" Wolfram charged, and Isenbert leapt forward, and once again, their swords met and clashed with each other. Isenbert let out a thunderous laugh as he dodged Wolfram's attack and retaliated.

"Your poor skills in swordsmanship makes me laugh. Weren't you taught by one of the most skillful swordsman in Shin Makoku? Or should I say… your own half-human brother?"

"Shut up!" Wolfram hollered, and swung his sword again, only to be blocked by his opponent. Retaliating, Isenbert thrust his sword forward in a deadly motion. Wolfram backed away one step and raised his sword to dodge the attack…

And a sudden sleepiness struck him.

For a second, his vision blackened, and his body swayed to his side, before the feeling of a sword stabbing his shoulder snapped him back into reality. Letting out a small, painful cry, Wolfram failed to maintain his balance and fell off his horse onto the harsh ground.

Isenbert's shadow was on him as he tried hard to stay conscious. His opponent's victorious laugh reverberated on his ear, and he narrowed his eyes as Isenbert's sword came down on him, ready to separate his head from his body...

...abruptly, the earth started shaking and a huge spike of earth thrust itself upwards between Wolfram and Isenbert, forcing the latter to back away as far as he could from the huge spike of ground. Wolfram gasped in pain as his vision slowly blackened...

"Wolfram!" the familiar voice came, and somehow, he felt indescribable relief surge throughout his entire being.

"Aniue..." he breathed weakly, before the sleepiness overcame him, and he succumbed into the darkness.

--o0o--

Gritting his teeth, Gwendal positioned himself in front of the unconscious figure of the blond mazoku prince. Glancing sideways to one of his most trustworthy men, he yelled, "Get him away from here, now!"

Isenbert let out a small sigh. "Pity. I was hoping to finish him off. What wonderful brotherly affection." He smiled mockingly at Gwendal. "Well, then, I'll have to be satisfied with you as my opponent."

Gwendal's eyes narrowed as he drew his sword. "You talk big," he replied stoically, keeping one eye on his man who was taking his little brother away from the battle line, making sure that Wolfram was out of his sight, before completely focusing his eyes on the Black Dawn's leader.

Isenbert wielded his sword in an attack stance, and charged forward. Gwendal reacted almost involuntarily, lurching back in a defensive stance, and their swords collided. Isenbert chanted once again, and a thunder lurched down towards Gwendal. Luckily, the gray-haired man was able to leap sideways, and sliced Isenbert's right arm as he did so. Isenbert cursed, and he took several steps backwards.

Gwendal pointed his sword. "This is only a beginning. I would not let anyone who had run his sword through Wolfram off the hook."

Isenbert smirked. "You certainly are better than that pretty fiancé of Maou-Heika."

"Shut up." Gwendal growled, and crouched down to touch the ground. Chanting, he attacked Isenbert with huge spikes of ground. Isenbert's eyes narrowed, and he quickly chanted something, casting a magical wall defense around him.

"I hope you are not forgetting that I'm a magician as well." Isenbert smirked, slightly out of breath after the sudden attack.

Gwendal cursed inwardly. How could he forget? This man before him was a descendant of the one who had cast a curse on his brother!

And that was exactly another reason why he couldn't kill Isenbert. He needed any possible information about the curse—or about Mihael von Gottfried himself.

"Shall we continue, then?" Isenbert chuckled evilly. "It is time for me to get serious."

--o0o--

"Captain!"

Both Yuuri and Conrad turned towards the source of the sound. They were now a good distance away from the battlefield. Yozak and some of the Shin Makoku soldiers who had gone to the hiding place of Black Dawn was riding towards them.

"Yozak!" there was a hint of relief in Conrad's tone.

As soon as he reached the three of them, Yozak nodded at Greta. "I see you've found the princess, Heika."

"Aah." Yuuri smiled, ruffling his sobbing daughter's hair. "Now I need to get her somewhere safe."

"We can get back to the small village," Yozak offered. "It seems like the battle is in our favor. There's no need for Heika to stay here."

Yuuri looked up at Conrad, asking for his opinion. Conrad smiled and nodded. "But someone still has to stay with Heika," he said, "Just in case something goes wrong."

An idea popped up in Yuuri's head. The monarch hesitated for a bit—it was quite embarrassing, really, and Wolfram wouldn't approve, but…

"Do you think it's okay if Wolfram goes back with us to the small village?"

Yozak and Conrad were evidently surprised at the sudden request. Yuuri could feel heat rising off his face. "It's... really nothing! I mean... he seems exhausted lately… and I really don't think it was good for him to be on the battlefield , he looks really tired and..."

"I understand, Heika." Conrad cut him off, smiling, while Yozak tried really hard to contain his amused laughter. "I will ask a soldier to go fetch him. If that's your order, he won't be able to refuse."

"Aah. Thank you, Conrad. And... sorry." Yuuri cast his gaze down.

Conrad only smiled, and turned to Yozak. "I'll leave Heika and Greta to you, Yozak."

He was about to turn back to the battlefield when he saw one of Gwendal's most trustworthy man riding towards them, bringing an unconscious figure that looked achingly familiar…

Yuuri was the first one to gasp.

"Wolfram!" he quickly approached the coming soldier, worry etched across his face. "Wolfram!"

"What happened?!" Conrad demanded as the soldier halted before them, looking as if he was on the edge.

"Ah... Wolfram-kakka was fighting Isenbert, and he fell unconscious. Gwendal-Kakka ordered me to bring him somewhere safe." The soldier replied hurriedly as he glanced at the panic Maou next to him, whose eyes fixed on the blond mazoku prince.

Greta raised her head off Yuuri's chest and turned. Her eyes were horrified at the sight of her unconscious father. "Wolfram?" she called tentatively, voice full of horror. "Yuuri, is Wolfram okay?" she sobbed. "This is Greta's fault… Greta's fault..."

Yuuri's lips thinned. "No, Greta." He whispered, "It's mine."

Conrad glanced to the battlefield, something unreadable shone in his eyes. "What about Gwendal?"

"He's facing Isenbert."

Conrad gritted his teeth. Yuuri looked at him worriedly. "Conrad?"

"Yozak," the brown-haired man's voice took on authoritative tone. "Take Wolfram with you. Stay in the village, make sure they're safe." He nudged his horse to the direction of the battlefield. But before he could leap forward, Yozak caught his hand.

"Where are you going?" the spy demanded, his eyes full of concern.

Conrad gave him a slight smile. "Just checking on my older brother. Don't worry."

Reluctantly, Yozak let go of his hand. Conrad turned to Yuuri. "Heika, be careful. Stay alert."

"A-aah..." Yuuri stuttered, too shocked at how things were going. Conrad nodded once, and then he nudged his horse. The beast let out a beautiful shriek, and leapt forward, running back into the battlefield.

Yozak gazed at the direction where Conrad went, until he finally sighed. He turned to the rest of them, motioning them to follow him. "Come on. We have to get going before any member of Black Dawn attacks us."

--o0o--

For the umpteenth time, their swords collided. Gwendal cursed. Isenbert had cast a spell that used his maryoku as a source whenever the Black Dawn leader used his defense spell. Now, the older man didn't have enough maryoku left to use his earth magic.

"Is something wrong?" Isenbert asked, smiling mockingly at him even though his breath was short. "Your movement is getting slower."

Gwendal growled, irritated. "Speak for yourself!"

The two of them backed away, readying themselves for another attack. Isenbert chanted once again, and this time, Gwendal felt invisible ropes halt his movement. The gray-haired man snarled in anger and twisted his body. Lucky enough, his concentration alone was still enough to snap him out of the magic. His spells are mostly illusions, Gwendal reminded himself. If I could concentrate just enough to break the spell, I'd be okay.

Isenbert's eyes narrowed. It was the fourth time he had tried the spell, but his opponent always managed to snap himself out of it. What a troublesome person, the silver-haired man thought.

Gwendal took a deep breath. If only he could get Isenbert trapped—or at least immobilize him—with his earth magic, this whole battle would be over. But with his maryoku now, he could only use his magic once—and that means using all his maryoku. Without any doubt, he'd fall unconscious once his maryoku was drained. And Isenbert would get a chance to free himself.

"If you're done with planning your strategy," Isenbert let out a maniacal laugh. "I would like to start my attack. Watch."

Gwendal's eyes narrowed.

"Hear me all particles who dwell in thunder.." Isenbert murmured, raising his hand, and thunders bellowed back to him, answering his call. "Obey this proud mazoku!"

Ten thunders cracked down around Gwendal, effectively trapping him in one place. Gwendal gritted his teeth. Every time he tried to move to one side, a thunder would crack down on his way, and he had to step back in order to avoid it.

"Great style, isn't it?" Isenbert cackled. "Now, for the finishing attack. You will learn that earth is nothing compared to thunder."

Gwendal held his breath, knowing the last thunder would crack down right on him, and he didn't have place to avoid it. Dodging it would be an impossible task. A sword was nothing under a thunder.

"…all particles who dwell in thunder.." he heard Isenbert chanted, and Gwendal drew his free hand into a fist. Was this the end? Would this be his end?

"..obey this proud…!"

"Gwendal!"

A sickening sound of a sword stabbed through someone's chest was heard. Gwendal's eyes widened. In front of him, Isenbert—still standing, wide-eyed—was stabbed on his right side of chest from behind by none other than the gray-haired man's half human brother.

"Conrad-..." He couldn't believe his eyes. Conrad would never, ever, strike anybody from behind. The brown-haired man considered the act as a cowardly attack. But now...

Conrad gritted his teeth. His reaction at the sight of his older brother in grave danger was involuntarily done. The only thing that kept him from stabbing Isenbert through his left side of chest where his heart would be was because they couldn't kill Isenbert—the only descendant of Mihael von Gottfried.

The thunders around Gwendal disappeared in an instant, and Gwendal fell on to his knees, trying to save what was left of his energy.

A small, dark smile appeared on Isenbert's face. "Fool," he choked out, gripping his sword harder. "You should know that I wouldn't die from this kind of attack."

Gwendal's mouth parted in silent cry as he watched Isenbert thrust his sword backwards, running it through Conrad's abdomen. Conrad let out a painful grunt as he gritted his teeth. Blood seeped out of his uniform. He coughed, letting a trail of blood out of his mouth, running down his chin.

He knew this would happen. He had anticipated this before. It would worth it. It would give Gwendal the only chance..

Something snapped inside Gwendal's head at the sight of his brother being stabbed.

"Hear me all particles who dwell in earth!" Gwendal's voice was firm and full of anger as he chanted—using the least bit of what was left of his maryoku, despite his exhausted form. "Obey this proud mazoku!"

The ground around Conrad and Isenbert slowly rose itself upward, circling around the leader of the Black Dawn, making a small cocoon around Isenbert's body. The silver-haired man was panicking as he tried to wriggle out of the cocoon. But it was too late. The raising ground had gotten a grip of each of his wrists.

Slowly, when he was sure Isenbert was immobilized; Conrad drew himself from the sword on his abdomen, coughing more blood as he did so. He pulled his sword back, causing Isenbert to shriek painfully; his scream echoed around the battlefield, and was drowned slowly as the cocoon finally closed up above his head.

A satisfied, cruel smile appeared on Conrad's face. Across him, he saw Gwendal fall unconscious—having used the last of his maryoku. Trying to ignore the pain racking his body, he tried to move towards his brother, but ended up stumbling and fell down on the ground.

"Conrad! Gwendal!"

The familiarity of the voice forced him to snap his head towards the source. His eyes widened as he saw Yuuri, Murata and Yozak dashing towards them, their expressions panic and horrified.

Conrad exhaled heavily, feeling the darkness slowly claiming him. The only thing he remembered before losing his consciousness completely was the furious shout from his King, and Murata's shocked voice shrieking at the Maou…

--o0o--

Yuuri's eyes widened when he saw Conrad fall down to the ground, not far from the unmoving figure of Gwendal. He felt something snap inside him, his fury grew rapidly before he finally succumbed to the other side of him with a cry.

"Shibuya!" Murata shouted frantically. "No! Not here!!"

But before the Daikenja could yell another word, Yuuri's hair had grown longer, and the aura that surrounded him had changed. There was only a split second of silence where everyone in the battlefield turned towards them before the water dragons shot up, bringing Yuuri up with them. Yozak pulled the other soukoku back in time as the dragons rushed upwards.

Murata could see the anger and rage in the Maou's aura. He shivered inwardly, thankful that the Maou only went like this every once in a while when the situations had gone horribly bad.

"REFUSING TO SEE THE TRUTH AND ATTACKING THE INNOCENTS IN ORDER TO GAIN MORE AND MORE POWER, AND USING THE POWER FOR VIOLENCE!" the Maou's voice boomed, reaching every single living being in the meadow. "I DO NOT TOLERATE VIOLENCE, BUT YOU FOOLS GIVE ME NO CHOICE! I SHALL TEACH YOU JUSTICE!"

Yozak could practically see every Black Dawn member tremble in fear as the water dragons lurched in every direction, bringing up the Black Dawn members , and holding an enormous quantity of people front of the Maou. The Maou raised his hand, concentrating on his maryoku. Then, a bright blue light emitted from the Maou's hand, and the entire Black Dawn members fell unconscious. The dragons put them back on the ground, dropping them in a safe distance from earth.

Murata could see the Maou panting slightly. He sighed, knowing that it was hard for the Maou to use his maryoku in a human land. Shaking his head, he murmured, "Well, at least it ends well..."

Yozak gave him an incredulous stare.

"Thus justice be done." The Maou said charismatically, his water dragons disappearing one by one. As his feet finally touched the ground, his hair shortened, and he swayed on his feet for a second, before losing his consciousness and falling.

"Heika!" Yozak reacted, catching the now 16 years old boy in time. He exhaled in relief audibly, and turned to Murata, wondering what the Daikenja would do now.

Murata sighed, running a hand across his hair. "Maa... I think all the ordering and stuff fall into my hands, huh? How troublesome…"

--o0o--

Shinou's Shrine, Shin Makoku..

Ulrike's eyes brightened when the fountain emitted a bright purple light. "It's Geika!" she exclaimed, looking intently at the maryoku that was sent through the water. Behind her, Günter, Gisela, and some of the Shrine Maidens gathered up, looking hopeful for the news.

A relieved smile etched on the priestess' face. "They won the battle," she informed as she read the maryoku. Gisela let out a surprised, happy gasp, and Günter wailed his thanks to Shinou.

But then, Ulrike's face turned sour, grief-stricken. "However," she began tentatively. "Geika said that all three of Celi-sama's sons are wounded quite badly. He asked for Gisela to be ready when they come home."

"Wounded?!" Günter exclaimed, visibly worried. "But surely, their wounds aren't life-threatening?"

"I don't know, Von Christ-kyo." Ulrike answered, examining the maryoku on the water. "Geika said they would be home in two days. They're going straight home."

Günter nodded, his drama-queen demeanor vanished in an instant. "Gisela," he spoke in authoritative tone. "I want you to get ready. Make sure we have all the herbs and medicine we would need."

"Yes, Father."

Somewhere in the dark shadow of the shrine, a figure stood, watching the crowd in front of the fountain. A smile crossed his face.

"As expected of my sage," he chuckled, half-amused and half-relieved. "I have to remember to give him a present for his success when he comes home."

The sun set, covering the shrine with beautiful shade of red, yellow, and orange. Shinou looked up to the sky longingly.

"It is time for the moon to come out and shine on me..." he murmured, an affectionate tone draped in his voice. Closing his eyes, he smiled before turning his back and vanished.

--o0o--

tbc

--o0o--

A/N: A remainder for everybody: I honestly don't know if Murata can send a message to Ulrike through water with his maryoku. I made it up. Let's just imagine that he acquired the skill…somewhere… hehe..

The next chapter would be delayed for some while.. because it's time for me to go back to my country. It might take more than two weeks before I can update. So.. gomennasai! But I can't do anything about it… T-T

Saa.. I was writing the battle scene all the while as I listened to the voice messages of Sukishou seiyuus. And it didn't help at all, because it made me laughed half-hysterical half-amused when I have to write a tensed scene. So I don't recommend that to anyone, really. But it's really funny to listen to voice messages! Not that I actually understand it, but at least I can catch and understand some of the words.. haha.. I wonder if KKM seiyuus do have voice messages..

Ettoo… so the whole Black Dawn ordeal is pretty much done. We're getting back to Wolfram's innermind in next chapter. I've been trying to rewrite the rest of the plot, twisting it here and there, because I feel the original plot wasn't really interesting. I just hope the new one is better. Sooo… this fic might be longer or shorter than it's supposed to be. I still don't know.-grins sheepishly-

Maa, review, please? –puppy eyes- I'd love more and more constructive criticism to make my writings better. Flames are welcomed, Mom needs it to burn the trash. XD

Next Chapter: Yuuri's mind in turmoil, while Wolfram tried to be honest to his brothers.

Huggiiiiiiesssss…

-isumi'kivic' and Ilde-


	11. Turmoil

Title: Pride and Prejudice

Title: Pride and Prejudice

Author: isumi'kivic'

Betas: Invikta and Mabs-fantasy

Pairings: My primary need, YuuriWolfram. Some ShinouDaikenja a.k.a ShinouMurata. Rawr.

Warnings: Standard warnings—shounen-ai, yaoi, and OOC-ness. Much sappy-ness in this chapter, just because I'm in the mood. XP This is an interlude, by the way...

Disclaimer: As much as I need YuuriWolfram on a daily basic, I don't and I can't own them. They own each other, and Takabayashi Tomo-sensei has a legal right to do whatever he wants with them…hey, do you think if I terrorize him, he'd give KKM to me? hides under the table

A/N: I'm sorry for the late update! I will explain my reasons at the end of this chapter, really. Thank you for all who had reviewed and read the last chapter. I owe you so much.

I have a question... or actually, an assumption. Since the starting of season three, I hadn't seen—or heard—Wolfram accusing Yuuri or yelling "Cheater" at him. Not even once. And yet, I also hadn't heard Yuuri denying their engagement or saying things equal to that. What does this mean? Anyone have an assumption? I have my own, already, but I'd like to know what you think about it, too...

Thank you much much, as usual, for Vivi-sama and Az-sama. There's no beta could be as wonderful as both of you. I love you to death. T-T

Enjoy the eleventh chapter, minna-san, and give me your feedback! They're drugs... and I'm addicted to every each of them. XD

--o0o--

"Rink, go to sleep now if you want to get a little taller." –Zech, White Utopia-

For D'AVES, I just miss you guys so much...

--o0o--

Pride and Prejudice

Chapter 10: Turmoil

The first thing he saw when he opened his eyes was the luxurious, high, white ceiling.

He blinked several times, and faintly caught soft, wrecked sobs coming from someone at his side. Sleepily, he moved his head to get a good look.

The sight of a little girl—her face was hidden under cute, curly brown locks, droplets of water falling down from where the weeping orbs were hidden behind her palms—sitting on the chair next to his bed greeted him.

"W...Wolf…fram...mm..." her voice was choked, drowned in the heartbreaking sobs.

Weakly, he brought his hand up, caressing the curly brown bangs. The little girl gasped at the touch.

"Wolfram!"

With surprising gentleness, she leaned in to hug him carefully, and Wolfram was astonished at how thoughtful she was being. But she was still crying, even harder, while repeating again and again about how sorry she was, and how she didn't mean anything she had done.

"Greta…" softly, he whispered. "It's okay, it's not your fault."

She nodded, her body shuddered. "Greta's so sorry, Wolfram…"

He smiled. "Now, Greta, no one will blame you. Well, if anyone did, I'll make sure he'll be sorry."

That got him a small smile from the little princess.

He gave her a sign to help him sit up. Obediently, she helped him prop himself on the hill of pillows. He sighed, eyes roaming to all corners of the room, before finally settling back on the little princess' figure.

"Where..."

"We're back in Fuurin-san's castle," she answered, wiping the remnants of tears on her cheeks. After a second thought, she added, "Yuuri had been here, too. Both of us were waiting for you to wake up. Fuurin-san just called him to talk about something shortly."

Wolfram let a sincere smile crept up his face. Yuuri would never change. He would do this to anyone. But to have Greta here by his side was something he was thankful of. IT was much better to wake up and have someone you loved watching over you…

Even if it wasn't your fiancé… or brothers.

The thought started him. His last memory before he blacked out on the battlefield rushed into his mind… Isenbert, ready to kill him, and the huge spikes shot up from ground, and… the last, the familiar voice shouting his name in a worried tone…

"Aniue..." his heart beat faster. He turned to Greta and asked, "Greta, can you get Yozak to come here?" _I want to know what happened after I blacked out._

The little princess blanched, and hesitated for a second. "Umm... but... Yozak had been awake all night watching over Conrad, and Greta doesn't want to wake him up..."

Wolram's attention was instantly perked up. "Conrad? What happened?" his eyes were narrowed immediately.

The brunette girl clasped her mouth, terrified. She shook her head vigorously. "Greta doesn't know, Wolfram! But both Gwendal and Conrad were hurt…" she trembled. "...and it's all Greta's fault, ne...?" another droplet of tears hit the floor.

Wolfram felt his head swim when his daughter mentioned his brothers' condition, and the fact that Greta was crying again only made it worse. Still, he pulled her into a tight embrace, stroking her back several times until her sobs subsided, and finally pulled away.

"Then, why don't you go and get Yuuri for me? I'm sure he's flirting with some of the maids." His fingers moved to wipe the transparent crystals in the brunette's eyes. "And please don't cry. Yuuri wouldn't like it."

Greta nodded softly, before pulling away. Smiling at Wolfram, she made her way to the door and exited the room.

The blond prince growled as another wave of sleepiness washed him. _Damn it, dammit!_ He cursed inwardly. _Although I tried… I tried to hold on... but the curse is stronger... it makes me weak. And because I'm weak… Aniuetachi were…_

Fear of not knowing what had happened to his brothers crept into his heart. He needed only one second to decide, before he carefully got off the bed and walked unsteadily out of the room he was in. Creeping into the hallway, he caught a sight of Yozak exiting a room at the end of the hallway to his left.

Lucky! His heart cheered.

Slowly, he moved down the hallway to the room Yozak had just come out of.

--o0o--

Fuurin sighed. "Yuuri-heika, I..." she hesitated. "I really… don't want to talk about this at this kind of time, but…"

"Nah, it's okay, Fuurin-san!" the Maou laughed slightly, although exhaustion was evident on his face. Secretly, Fuurin admired Yuuri's determination. She had seen how the boy took care of a lot of things—with the help of the Sage, too—since he had regained consciousness and saw that the three brothers were all unconscious after the battle. And Fuurin knew, it was hard for the soukoku, for the fact that not only he was still counted new as a King, but also he usually had Gwendal—or Günter—to take care of prisoners and things like that.

To think that he was only 16… Fuurin shook her head.

"Caloria would like to take over one prisoner from you, Yuuri-heika," Fuurin began carefully. "We would like to hold his trial here in Caloria—in respect of Hans' family."

Understanding dawned upon the Maou. "Oh..."

"Of course, we promise we will hold the trial justly, Heika," she added quickly. "It's just that… if the trial—his trial—could be held here, it would give a great relief and a small satisfaction for Hans' family... knowing and seeing with their own eyes that Hans' murderer is punished justly. They would want to..."

Yuuri held his hand. "I understand, Fuurin-san," he smiled reassuringly. "And I think it's possible, although I'll need to ask Murata about this. I will ask your patience for that."

Fuurin looked relieved. "Thank you very much, Yuuri-heika."

It was then the humongous wooden door of Fuurin's cozy study was opened, revealing the familiar figure of Shin Makoku's princess.

"Greta?" Yuuri stood up, alarmed by the red nose and the puffy eyes of the brown-haired girl. "What is it?"

The girl rushed into her father's embrace, and said in excited tone, "Wolfram's awake, Yuuri! He's finally awake!" this time, tears of happiness flowed freely from the warm brown orbs.

Fuurin watched Yuuri's eyes lit up instantly with relief and happiness as the Maou exclaimed in disbelief and hugged his daughter more fiercely, relieved laughter rang, filling the room. The lady of Caloria smiled knowingly.

"I am sure you would like to see him, Heika." She rose to her feet and bowed politely, hiding the knowing smile. "Then, I will leave you on your own."

"Arigatou, Fuurin-san!" Yuuri grinned, as Greta impatiently dragged her father out of the study. "See you later then!"

A she watched the two figures exited the room, Fuuri couldn't help but chuckled. The aura of happiness Greta had brought into the room radiated, and it gave her back her spirit.

--o0o--

The sight of his brothers lying on two separate beds in the room; wrapped in blankets, faces nearly as pale as the moon, unmoving, and deep in a peaceful exhausted sleep, shocked him to the core.

As if he was dreaming, Wolfram moved slowly, unsteadily, eyes fixed in disbelief on the figures of his sleeping brothers. He could feel his whole body trembling, so hard that he nearly tripped over his own foot. It felt as if he was in a surreal realm.

There was just no way his brothers were knocked down like this. His brothers. His two brothers.

It was just impossible.

But it was reality.

He staggered, stepping on the small space between the two beds, and fell onto the chair someone had placed there earlier. Maybe Yozak slept on that chair. Another wave of exhaustion swept over him, and for a second, Wolfram thought he was going to black out again. But he didn't. So he took a deep breath, and shakily bent over his oldest brother to have a good look.

Gwendal's face was pale, even paler than Conrad's. Traces of exhaustion could still be seen on his sleeping face. The blond prince could also see the bandaged arm beneath the thin blanket. Wolfram bit his lip.

…_Aniue… what happened?_

Turning around, he decided to take a look at his other brother. Tentatively, he lifted a little the blanket covering Conrad's figure. His hand froze in midair as his eyes took in the thick bandage wrapping Conrad's abdomen.

Soundlessly, he dropped back the blanket, suddenly feeling weak. He fell onto the chair—his head swam, his body trembled, his eyes stung, his breath quickened—and before he knew it tears started falling down from his eyes to his palm, leaving a wet trail on his cheeks.

_Stupid, stupid Aniuetachi…_

Somehow, Wolfram knew he was the cause of his brothers' current condition. He knew Gwendal had been the one to save him—and protect him—from Isenbert's deadly attack after he blacked out. Sometime after that, he would guess, Conrad must have joined in the fight and went against Isenbert with Gwendal. But what Wolfram couldn't understand though, was why it took both of his brothers to win over Isenbert. Was the leader of Black Dawn that strong?

But none of it mattered now. What mattered now was that he was there, sitting between his two unconscious brothers, alive and would live, while his brothers were struggling between the thin line of life and death. And it was all because of him.

"Damn it..." he cursed, the tears falling down freely from his emerald eyes. "Dammit… why do you have to be so stupid, Aniue? Why do you two have to be so overprotective? I'm not a child… and I…"

I'm not… worth it…

"Can't you just let me go? Aniue…" he gritted his teeth, and then broke, "Chiisa-aniue...?"

Silence answered his broken sobs, as tears over flew from his eyes, trailing down his cheeks and fell onto his palms on his knees. He balled his hand tightly until his knuckles were white, as he tried to contain the escaping sobs, but to no avail.

"I'm not… that selfish..." the words came in a whisper. "I can't continue living knowing both of you…" he trailed off, and coughed a little as he choked on his breath. He took a deep breath to calm himself. "It's better if I was the one hurt. Besides, my time wouldn't be long. The curse is working, and I'll fall in less than a month… so what's the difference if I fall now? You should've just… let me go..."

His eyes fell on his oldest brother. For once, he let a sincere, melancholic smile crept up his face, and his gaze turned tender.

"You saved me, didn't you? Aniue…?" his voice was weak. "Even though I told you countless times that I don't… need your protection…" a tear fell on the blanket. "But the truth is... I would always need you. Because I'm… not... strong enough… not good enough...

"...and that's why both of you are always being so protective over me. I'm right, aren't I? I'm useless..." his hand moved to touch Gwendal's arm beneath the blanket tentatively.

"But Aniue... Chiisa-aniue..." he whispered painfully. "The protection you've created for me… the secure and safe chambers behind the castle walls… all of it…it doesn't only protect me," he paused with a painful look on his eyes. "It also hurts me."

"Do you know, Aniue, how much I want to prove myself to you? So I can stand tall and protect what's precious to me? Yuuri, Greta, Hahaue... you... and... Chiisa-aniue, too?" he bit his lip, hard. "Have you ever thought about that?

"I admire you, Aniue. You've always been... really good in a lot of things. Your capability in politics... your calmness and your strong will. And yet... you still have a soft side..." Wolfram let a soft chuckle rippled from his throat. "If I'm allowed to hope, Aniue... I'd wish I could be good enough for you. To make you proud of me. I'd do anything if it meant you'd be proud of me."

He turned to look at his 'little-big-brother'. "No one would be able to tell how scared I was when you were sent to Ruttenberg. Of course," the youngest prince chuckled bitterly in a hoarse voice. "They say Wolfram hates his brother because he is half-human..." he paused, and there was a wistful look on his eyes. "Sometimes I wish I could really hate you, Chiisa-aniue. Because if I could, I wouldn't be hurt. I wouldn't care…

"I want to hate you. Because then, when the time came and you have to leave us, I wouldn't be hurt. Because eventually, you'll leave us. And I… I'd be hurt. And I wouldn't know how to cope with it. And that's why I hate you…" he shook his head, correcting himself. "…that's why I tried to hate you. But I can't. Because like Aniue, you are, and will always be my brother."

Helplessness shone on the glistening emerald orbs as Wolfram murmured, "I wish I knew how to show you what I feel earnestly. Both of you. I wish somehow you'd know.

"I wish you didn't make the castle wall to protect me... because I only see it as a cage..." a sob escaped. "I know, I understand, that Aniuetachi wants to protect me, but really, it chokes me. Even now. And you said once, years ago, that my nature as a fire wielder is to be free…

"Inside the cage, Aniue, it's lonely. It's scary, Chiisa-aniue..." Wolfram's mind drifted back to the times when he was a child, being left alone while everybody was busy with the war. "Even though you only wanted to protect my innocence from the bloody war, but you couldn't protect me from what I felt. All the lonely nights, every time I saw another kid playing with his siblings... you don't know how I wish... how I wish that I could be like them...

"Every time the news bringing names of dead soldiers came, I refused to see it because I was terrified that Chiisa-aniue's name would be there. Every time someone told me to get you to play with us, Aniue, I refused because I knew you'd be too busy and I'd only give you more headache. Even then… I couldn't help..."

Wolfram broke down, sobs and whimpers escaped him, as he pressed his hands on his face, trying to be strong and held the tears unsuccessfully. His body shuddered, strong wave of emotions he had trapped and buried deep inside his heart washed his whole being.

"I couldn't help wishing… that I'm not Wolfram von Bielefeld..."

Silence filled the room, only broke by the intense sobs came out of his mouth.

"But all of it doesn't matter..." he managed to whisper. "It doesn't matter... I don't matter... nothing matters as long as both of you alive and well. Shin Makoku needs both of you. Hahaue needs you. Yuuri needs you, Greta, too. I... need you… Aniue… Chiisa-aniue...

"I'd do anything. You can let me go, can't you? Please… wake up. Please… don't leave me..."

--o0o--

Behind the wooden door of the room where Gwendal and Conrad was in, Yuuri stood, leaning onto the door, eyes wet with unshed tears. His heart beat so fast that he thought it was going to burst. His head pounded painfully, and his mind was hazy that he couldn't think. Next to him, Greta was sobbing, hands over her mouth to quiet herself. Yuuri's hand gripped her shoulder tightly subconsciously, but Greta didn't even wince in the slightest.

"Wolfram..."

--o0o--

The Daikenja was leaning over the little fountain in the front yard of the castle. His eyes were intent on the little wave rippling calmly on the surface of the water. Every ripple was a pattern. Every slightest movement of the water was a signal. Every wave was Shinou's word.

_**I see you missed me already.**_

The Daikenja scrunched up his face, making a scowl. He hated it when Shinou could see through him, even when they were too far apart. His hands hovered above the surface of the water, sending his maryoku. The water rippled into waves.

_I was just going to ask about how everything was going over there. Don't be ridiculous._

Several seconds later, the water rippled. In Murata's eyes, the ripple turned into an amused laugh of the original King, mocking him.

_**Why would you want to know? I know Ulrike had told you everything you want to know. Besides, it seems you had much fun over there with the mission I gave you. **_The soukoku could see Shinou's glinting eyes on the gleaming water. _**You need to be honest sometimes, my Daikenja.**_

Murata's eyes narrowed.

_And you need to stop meddling with other's life. You know how to break the curse now, don't you?_

_**Geez. Your suspicions hurts me.**_

Murata sighed in exasperation. He moved a little one of his fingers, sending a fiercer maryoku. Shinou needed to know that he wasn't kidding.

Or flirting for that matter.

_Shinou, why don't you tell us about how to break the curse? I'm sure Gwendal and Conrad would be very grateful if you do._

_**Ah? Now you're angry? **_The water rippled, and Murata knew Shinou was chuckling. _**My Daikenja, the fates already orchestrates this. I cannot ruin it all by meddling with it. If I did, I'd only make it worse.**_

_Sometimes, worse in your point of view is better in another's points of view._

The ripples changed, bringing Shinou's serious tone. _**Not in this one. I can promise you that. Don't you believe me, my Daikenja?**_

Murata sighed. The original king always asked too much of him.

_Of course I trust you._

He saw the color of the water was fading into bright transparent blue, and he could feel Shinou's sincerity then.

_**Thank you. That is all I wanted to hear.**_

Fighting the blush that was creeping up his face, Murata replied.

_It's_ _my role to do so._

_**Should I come over there?**_

The offer was sincere, Murata could feel it radiating from the maryoku he felt. But no, he didn't really need Shinou at the moment. He could handle everything now.

_No, you don't need to. Unless you've missed me so much._

The water rippled fiercer, and Murata knew Shinou was laughing hard.

_**Yes, I miss you. I want my moon to come back quickly. See you soon, then, my Daikenja.**_

The soukoku took a deep breath as he leaned back from the fountain. He looked up to the sky, and saw the perfectly round moon above. Stupid Shinou. He's more stupid when he's flirting.

He would never say it out loud, but he couldn't stop his heart from shouting the words.

_I miss you, too. Shinou._

--o0o--

Yuuri couldn't sleep.

There were so many things whirling in his mind. Shin Makoku. Gwendal and Conrad's condition. Greta. Wolfram. Curse?

The word kept repeating in his head. Curse. What curse? Did something happen to Wolfram when he was away on Earth? If Wolfram really has a curse, someone must have casted it. But when? Surely Gwendal and Conrad would protect their brother—it's their nature to be overprotective. Then, when? No, the smart question would be, how?

And what would happen if the curse won over Wolfram? Yuuri felt an indescribable fear probed his heart, and spread throughout his whole being. Yes, what would happen, then? Would he die? Would he…?

Whatever would happen, Yuuri knew it would be something horrible. Because… because Wolfram said it… he asked Gwendal and Conrad to let him go...

Go where? Where, Wolfram?

Then, does it mean Wolfram would leave him too?

Yuuri sat up right, momentarily forgetting the fact that his daughter was sleeping soundly beside him. His breath quickened.

Wolfram... would leave him.

He shook his head, trying to clear his head.

No, he wouldn't. Wolfram wouldn't leave him. Wasn't it him who said, "If you fall, I'll fall with you?"

The thought brought a flush up his face. He never actually thought of how deep the meaning of that statement was.

But... if Wolfram fell first... then Yuuri wouldn't have anyone to fall with him if he fell…

That meant... he would be alone?

A shiver ran down his spine. The thought itself was scary.

The curse, he reminded himself. If he could find out what the curse was about, then he would be able to find a way to break it. And if he could break it… then... Wolfram wouldn't have to…

Wait a minute. Does Gwendal and Conrad know about this? Anger built inside him. Why didn't they tell him? Why did they keep it as a secret from him? Why did they have to keep everything secret from him? Wolfram... was his friend. Heck, scratch that. Wolfram was his fiancé, and Yuuri had a right to know! Yes!

Wait, what was he thinking?! They're both guys, and the engagement was just an accident! He didn't have any feeling whatsoever towards the blond prince, even if Wolfram did have something toward him. And it had nothing to do with the curse!!

Oh, that was right. He still hadn't found out what caused the curse. Maybe Murata would know? Nah, as if Murata would tell him if he asked. He'd only smirk knowingly at Yuuri and his glasses would glint…

But he had helped Yuuri several times. He answered Yuuri several times. Then if Yuuri asked now, who knew he would give some answers…or clues?

Wait… what would he ask Murata? Right. First off, about whether Murata knew or not about the curse. And then, if he said yes, then Yuuri would ask about the origin of the curse, and how to break it. Lastly, he'd ask why was his heart beating so fast every time he caught a glimpse of blonde hair, or emerald eyes, or even the yellow flower he recognized as Beautiful Wolfram…

Hey! Yuuri shook his head again, trying to clear his mind. Argh! Why was it so hard to concentrate? It felt like his mind was in some kind of turmoil. One issue after another popped out randomly, followed by another quickly, all demanding his attention.

But it did, though. His heart, he meant. It does beat faster every time he caught a glimpse of something that reminded him of the golden-haired mazoku prince. Well, it had been like that for a while, now… it just got worse since the... Yuuri could feel his face getting hot. Since the incident in the woods… when they were on their way to the Kelv Valley.

Well... Wolfram looked very, very adorable that time... Yuuri reasoned. And Yuuri was confused, too. About the whole Black Dawn ordeal. And worried. Of Greta, that is. Yes. And he was lost, remember? So he couldn't actually think straight when he was about to... kiss Wolfram and Wolfram fell back asleep…

Right?

But then, why was it getting worse now? If it was caused by the whole problems about Black Dawn and Greta, why was it getting worse now? When Black Dawn was defeated and Greta was safe and sound, sleeping next to him?

Yuuri felt like tearing his hair, even though he knew it wouldn't do any good. He sighed, and turned towards the little prince sleeping beside him.

Usually, there was always another boy right next to Greta and him. A boy with golden locks, and fair skin, sleeping in ungraceful manner yet still beautiful...

Yuuri couldn't help but reminisce and smile.

He wished that Wolfram was here. So he could ask him what was wrong. And Wolfram would answer honestly. He had never let Yuuri down; he'd never lied to Yuuri. Wolfram was his most trusted friend. The one he depended on. The one he cherished very much. His treasured... fiancé...

Wait, what? Arrgh...

He buried his face on the pillow, and let out a long sigh.

He didn't understand himself at all.

What's happening to him?

--o0o--

tbc?

--o0o--

A/N: I know, I know, it was too short! I feel so, too! But then, I can't do anything! I don't even have a computer to type a chapter on! Here's my problem: I'm back in my country, where internet is NOT something cheap. And then, school had started just a week after I arrived in my country, so I really had no time to touch the computer at all! I had to enter my dormitory, which stupidly doesn't have any computer or laptop whatsoever I can use to type on! So I had to wait until I got back home, which only happens once a month, and type it all, send it to Vivi-sama and Az-sama, before trying with all my might to get permission to go to an internet café to post this. Also, I have to do my senior year all over again because that was the agreement I made last year when I got the exchange program. So I can't slack off too much because I'm in my senior year. So yes, I'm really sorry for the inconvenience, but I really can't do anything. –Runs off and cries-

I only hope that all of you would be patient waiting for the updates from now on. I'm such a bad writer, I know that. But I'm trying with all that I can. So please forgive me! Meanwhile, I tried to write the next chapter in my book, before typing it at home when I got back. I'm really, really sorry for the inconvenience.

Thank you for reading this far and forgive me for all I could and couldn't do. T-T Enthusiastic reviews and constructive criticisms are luffed. And hearted, of course. No flame, please. It's hot enough without one, really.

Next chapter: "Letting go is truly hard, do you know, Wolfram?"

Mata ato de?

-isumi'kivic' and Ilde-


	12. Good Night, Sweetheart

Title: Pride and Prejudice

Author: isumi'kivic'

Pairings: YuuriWolfram, ShinouDaikenja/Murataslight ConradYozak and GwendalGunter.

Warnings: Excessive error grammars, because it's not beta-ed. Shounen-ai, standard warnings.

Disclaimer: Don't own it. And I don't think I want to, if that means that I have to make nearly every character flirt with Yuuri and Yuuri to be as dense as a stone and hurt Wolfie again and again. Takabayashi Tomo-sensei and Madhouse has full responsibility of that. glares at the animators and Sensei

A/N: I'm furious. I don't want to hate Sara because he's just so cute! Bishounen! And hot, I might add... but seriously right now, there isn't anyone I hate more than Sara AND Yuuri. And please don't ask me why. Sometimes I wonder if it'd be better for me if I just stop watching KKM fo several episodes... but those "full of SaraYuuri" episodes are done now... but why oh why, am I really pessimistic about the probability of getting more YuuRam episodes?-weeps-

Anyhow, enjoy this twelfth chapter. Reviews and constructive criticisms are very welcomed and fancied.

--o0oYuuRamo0o--

"Our Hearts are connected."-Sora, Kingdom Hearts 2-

--o0oYuuRamo0o--

Pride and Prejudice

Chapter 12: Good night

The day the King's party arrived back at the Blood Pledge Castle, it was raining really hard. It was as if the sky was weeping to see so many people were injured after the battle with the Black Dawn. Gisela had a very, very busy day treating the injured people, including two of the former Demon Queen's sons.

Both Gwendal and Conrad were sleeping in the infirmary in when Cecilie came in. The former Demon Queen looked as though she was drowned in the pool of sadness. She moved to sit on the chair next to Conrad's bed, stifling a sob as she held her second son's hand.

A gentle squeeze was what she got as an answer. Surprised, she raised her head to meet her son's tender smile. Conrad was awake.

"Conrad!" Cecilie cried, quickly throwing her hands to envelop the brown-haired man in a rare gentle embrace. Her son chuckled in amusement, and then whispered words of reassurance to his mother, listening to her sobs.

"Hahaue, it's okay. We're all okay."

"I was so scared.." Cecilie sobbed. "I thought I was going to lose my two baby boys.."

A weak groan and a grunt was heard from the other occupied bed in the infirmary. "Hahaue. We're not babies, we've passed that stage a long time ago."

Conrad smiled as Cecilie cried his brother's name and rushed across the rom to give Gwendal a gentle, yet desperate hug. He could see his older brother's lips twitched slightly upwards, and he laughed inwardly.

It took several minutes for both men to calm their mother down. Cecilie was naturally a passionate person who wouldn't mask her feelings for anything, and somehow, the way she acted now reminded both injured men of the times when they were little.

"What exactly happened?" the blond-haired female demanded. "I was so worried.. Gisela said that you," she turned to Gwendal,"..nearly spent all your maryoku. And you know how dangerous it is for us mazoku if we spent it all."

Gwendal's lips thinned. He got a funny feeling that his mother was giving him a lecture like he was a little boy caught on stealing nighttime snacks from the kitchen.

"And you, Conrad. How exactly did you get that…that wound on your belly?" her voice shivered in fright. "Gisela said it's quite bad, and you'll need some time to recover fully."

Conrad smiled. "I'm alright, Hahaue," he said softly. "This is really nothing. I've been worse." He chuckled, and then threw a glance at Gwendal. The latter nodded gratefully. If it wasn't for Conrad, Gwendal might not even live right now.

"Still.." Cecilie cast her gaze down. "Please. Tell me what happened."

Hesitating, Conrad and Gwendal exchanged glances. Receiving a nod from his younger brother, Gwendal sighed. He really never liked telling people about what had happened in the battlefield, especially if it was his own near-death experience.

But he told Cecilie, anyway, in grunts and short sentences, on how he found Wolfram killed by Isenbert, and he saved his youngest brother's dear life. How Wolfram fell unconscious and his battle with Isenbert started, until he was trapped amongst the lightning…and he trailed off.

Cecilie's face was literally white in fright, as if she was watching the actual scenes of her son's near-death experience. Her expression was twisted between rage and regrets, and clear crystals welled up in her beautiful eyes. And when Conrad continued his older brother's story, her face contorted, the look on her eyes showed how shattered her heart was upon hearing what had happened to her dearly beloved sons.

"Both of you.." her voice quivered when Conrad finished the tale. "I'm so.. sorry.."

"Hahaue," Conrad began softly. "It's our duty to protect this country.. and Yuuri-Heika as well. Don't worry. We'll be alright."

"Yeah, but it would've been better if none of you actually interfered with my fight and got yourselves hurt!" a harsh snap came from the unknowingly opened door. There, stood the youngest son of Cecilie, dignified as usual, as he stepped into the infirmary. His face was set into an angry scowl, but it hid none of the concern and worries on his expression.

Three pairs of different eyes followed each movement of the blond mazoku prince as he slowly crossed the room to stand not far from his mother, keeping a safe distance from the three previous occupants of the room.

Cecilie eyed her youngest son and scrutinizedhis features to find any sign of exhaustion. But either her son was getting better or he was really good on hiding those signs, because she couldn't see any trace of exhaustion on his soft, slightly frail-looking figure. She then raised her arms, motioning to her youngest son to come closer, "Wolfie, here,"

Wolfram didn't react, he kept still and silent. His scowl was gone, and was replaced by a thin line of his lips. His emerald eyes glimmered in unreadable emotions, confusing his mother and older brothers. Then, he cast his gaze down, and, under the questioning gaze of his family, he mumbled faintly, "I'm sorry."

Silence followed the sincere apology. Conrad's mouth hung slightly open, while Gwendal and Cecilie both stared in disbelief. The self-centered, selfish princeling of Shin Makoku had just apologized?

"Wolfie…" Cecilie breathed, the tears in her eyes now trickled down upon her cheeks, glistening and shimmering. Conrad took a deep breath, and gave a soft, loving smile as an answer. Gwendal cleared his throat awkwardly, and grunted something that sounded like, "It's our duty as your older brothers," or something along that line.

The thin line of Wolfram's lips quirked a bit upwards. Still keeping his eyes on the floor, he whispered, "Thank you, too."

"You're welcome," Conrad answered for the now sobbing Cecilie and an awkward Gwendal. He would've had an amused smile on his face if he'd encountered this kind of situation in normal life, but now, he somehow had an uneasy feeling about Wolfram's sudden sentimental attitude. Strangely, the blond seemed… far away and out of reach.

The blond nodded, and turned quickly on his heels. He had to go before those traitorous tears on his eyes fell down his cheeks in front of his mother and brothers. Straightening his posture, he said in a steady tone, "Günter and Gisela wanted to try the traditional maryoku therapy to try to break the curse."

Three heads shot up at that, and Gwendal was the first to voice his curiosity. "How would it work?"

A shrug. "I have absolutely no idea. I think Gisela said something about the curse actually decreasing my maryoku and that's why I'm always sleepy. You'll have to ask her yourself." The youngest prince walked towards the door.

As he opened the humongous wooden door, Wolfram paused, and turned his head to glance at the three figures he loved with all his life. Giving a small smile, he whispered in a very soft tone that it was nearly unheardable,

"Really…you need to learn to let go.. it's not worth it.."

With that, the blond prince's figure slipped through the door, and the door was closed behind him.

--o0oYuuRamo0o--

Deep down, under the Blood Pledge Castle, in the deepest depth of the hidden rooms and stairs and corridors, lay the dungeon. The darkest, most inhuman place to be in the whole Shin Makoku. There was absolutely no light could penetrate the mysterious, choking darkness that most people simply lost their sanity after being locked down there for a while. There was no window, not even bars. The cells were merely small, trapping room with only one door which had a small opening to put the tray of food inside. It was the only place in Shin Makoku Yuuri hadn't seen yet—and he would probably never, seeing at how protective those around him were.

There, in one of the farthest room in the dungeon, screams and wails could be heard, echoing the agony the owner of the voice must have felt. The unlucky guards, who stood at the gate of the dungeon, shuddered at the voice, and one of them leaned over to whisper.

"Hey, do you think it's really okay for the Daikenja to actually go in there? That prisoner have been like this since last night.. we're not even sure if it's safe inside."

His friend raised his shoulders and sighed. "At any rate, Yozak-san is with Geika. I'm sure he can handle everything down there. It's not like we're allowed to go down there without being supervised by one of the commanders, right?" he threw a glance at the dark passage behind him, fright was clear on his expression. "And frankly, I don't even want to go down there."

Down, down from where the guards stood, Murata and Yozak were descending the stairs with slow, careful steps. The orange-haired man was holding a big torch, while Murata walked behind him, a serious expression on his face.

Yozak led the Soukoku to the last room of the deepest corridors, and even under the torch light, they still had to squint to see the small door before them. Screams and wails still echoed from the chamber, and it was getting louder and louder. The two of them exchanged glances.

"This is more than going crazy," the spy commented, shaking his head. Motioning for Mrata to open the door, he stepped back. The sage pulled out the dungeon keys, and, wearily, put on of them into the keyhole.

The door emitted a loud, creepy creak when the soukoku gave it a push. Yozak stepped forward, raising the torch to lighten the whole room. Both of them stiffened at the sudden loud, shrill cry from the corner of the room.

There, huddled at the corner of the room—or cell—was Isenbert. Terror was clear on his expression, his face pale. His once long, silky-looking silver hair was now sticking up everywhere, some was torn by its owner's own hands and was thrown away in stress. His body rocked back and forth, as if he was cradling himself. Occassionally, he let out a shrill, agonized cry, the stopped and shuddered violently, murmuring incoherent things under his breath. But the weirdest thing of all about the ex-leader of the Black Dawn was his eyes. They were closed.

"He's still sleeping," Yozak's eyes widened in disbelief at the statement from his only company. He glances sideways to see Murata's glasses gleamed under the light of the torch. "Sleeping?" he repeated in a questioning tone.

The soukoku nodded, and stepped forward. Isenbert was now murmuring very fast, so Murata had to strain his ears to catch what he was saying.

"Beg of you.. give me mercy.. no! No!! Stop.. I'll tell you.. the curse.. no! No, stop!!" Isenbert threw his head back and shrieked agonizingly. Yozak threw him a nasty look.

Murata shook his head as his glasses gleamed. Softly, he murmured, "You're such a bad boy.."

Almost instantly, the shriek and screams ceased, and Isenbert's body fell back and slumped onto the wall. Yozak blinked in genuine surprise, focusing his attention at the sage. "Geika?"

Slowly, Murata turned and smiled cheerfully. "Yah! We're done here! We should go back upstairs to tell the guards to locate him in another cell—a brighter one. He's already lost his sanity anyway. Shibuya wouldn't want anybody to be treated like this."

"Geika," Yozak called in confusion. "Didn't we come here to interrogate him about the curse?"

Murata stopped. For a second, he seemed to be contemplating something. Finally, he turned to look seriously at the orange-haired spy, and let out a breath.

"Keep this as a secret. It's an order." He added, and then continued, "Shinou had just done the job for us. A little bit.. rough for Isenbert, I guess.." he glanced at the unmoving body at the corner of the room. "But he dived into Isebert's conscience. It seems that Shinou saw this method as the fastest and efficient one."

Yozak's lips thinned. "And by that…you meant Shinou-Heika had just… possessed Isenbert in his dream?"

"In a way. Well… practically, yeah.." Murata scratched his head and took a breath. "Come on. I have to talk to Shinou if he found any way to break the curse from Isenbert."

The soukoku and the half-human quickly left the dark, choking cell.

--o0oYuuRamo0o--

It had been nearly a week since the Maou party came back from Caloria, and day by day, Günter found himself getting busier and busier. Other than his usual routines of teaching Yuuri and sometimes Greta, he now also had Gwendal's work to be covered which, understandably, was enormous even though Yuuri had improved much better in doing his paperwork, too. On top of that, everyday, just when the sun was exactly above their head, he had to go to the only place he dreaded the most in the Blood Pledge Castle.

Anissina's lab.

Of course, it was the only place hey could perform the old traditional healing maryoku therapy. It was his idea in the first place, after all. When Gisela had found out how the curse worked: decreasing the cursed person's maryoku continuously and made it impossible for the mazoku's body to create it back as it usually did, Günter had thought, maybe the traditional healing maryoku therapy could work against the curse. Not long afterwards, Anissina had come up with he brilliant "Heal-Everything-With-Your-Maryoku-kun", which, surprisingly, had progressed really well. Even Gisela admitted that the machine made the healer's job easier and faster.

The day Gwendal finally awoke and was able to meet him, Günter nearly couldn't find any word to say. He simply went into the infirmary with a somewhat dreaming look on his face, and sat down beside Gwendal's bed with a bundle of reports in his hand. Fortunately, Conrad saw it fit to ask Yozak to accompany him to the garden. Still, in the end all the meaningful words both men exchanged other than Günter's reports were "Welcome back," and "Yes, I'm home."

The stoic man had demanded constant and continuous report about the therapy and his youngest brother's condition. Günter could see the desperation on Gwendal's eyes to save his baby brother, so he nodded and promised. Only then Gwendal looked relieved, and he muttered "If it's you, I can trust that everything would alright."

But the problem didn't end there. This afternoon—one of his most favorite time of the day—when he was teaching Yuuri about the cultures in Franchia, the Maou had cut him off in the middle of his rants, looked at him straight in the eye, and asked in a demanding tone, "What is wrong with Wolfram?"

Günter was caught off guard. He paused to examine his King's mood, and found no trace of joke in his features. So he pulled an innocent face, blinked, and replied. "I don't think there's something wrong with Little Lord Brat."

"Don't call him that," Yuuri reacted almost instantly. "He's not.. at least not as much as I thought he was."

Günter blinked surprised. Why this was new. "Really, Heika? He still is, in my opinion." He strode across the room to put back the book he was holding and pulled another book. "Now, as I was saying…"

"I know there's something wrong with him," the soukoku said almost absently. "He seems…distant lately."

"Oh Heika, I'm sure nothing. There's nothing wrong with him," Günter said, pulling out another book and turned to Yuuri cheerfully, "Now, Heika, what would you prefer to learn about today, History or.. traditional magic?"

"Hmm.." Yuuri only stared at him blankly, before closing his eyes and sighed. Then he stood up, walking to the nearest bookshelf and started to skim the books one by one. Günter blinked. Okay, this was definitely weird.

"Heika?" tentatively, Günter called.

Yuuri's eyebrows were tauted in seriousness as he pulled a thick, hard-covered book, and showed it to Günter. "I want to learn more about curses."

--o0oYuuRamoo0o--

The door of the infirmary swung open and its knob hit the wall with a loud banging sound. Startled, Yozak, Conrad, and Gwendal looked up quickly to find Wolfram stormed in, and was quickly followed by the lilac-haired Royal Advisor's dramatic entrance. Before any of them could say anything, Wolfram slammed the door shut loudly.

"Which one of you told Yuuri about the curse?!" there was a fire burning in those emerald orbs. His eyebrows tauted in anger, his breath coming in short-taken inhalations, showing how angry he was. All occupants of the room except Günter exchanged confused looks.

"What is this about?" Gwendal demanded, but the angry fire-wielder shot him a sharp look, and he stiffened. It had been a long time since the last time he saw his youngest brother truly pissed off.

"I ask, Aniue! Which one of you told Yuuri about the curse?!"

Conrad's eyes widened in surprise. "He found out?"there was a genuine surprise in his tone. Wolfram turned to face his brother, looking for signs of lying. Finding none, the young fire-wielder took a deep breath, trying to calm himself.

Günter was the on to answer Conrad. "Yes. He asked me specifically when we were studying."

"But none of us told the boy about the curse," Yozak chimed in.

Wolfram raked his hair, pale hand ran through golden strands. "This is retarded," he swore, before turning on his heels and stomped out of the room. This time, Günter didn't bother to chase him.

"How did Heika find out?" Gwendal asked, although it sounded more like an order. Günter shook his head.

"I haven't a single idea, I'm sorry." He said deliberately. "I told Wolfram right away when I met him in Anissina's lab for today's therapy. Second thought wise, I shouldn't have told him that."

Silence. Günter could see the tensed line of Gwendal's lips and Conrad's grave face.It was clear that what had made them worried wasn't the fact that Yuuri knew about the curse, What they were fretting over was Wolfram's mental condition. And Günter could understand. Since thay got back from Caloria, Wolfram seemed to be more… distant.

Ah, did he just use Yuuri's word to describe how the blond was right now?

"Günter,"" Conrad's voice caught his attention. He looked at the injured man. "Yes, Conrad?"

The brown-haired soldier gave him a smile, but it was weary. "How is the therapy? Does it… work?"

Günter's lips thinned. "Unfortunately.." he began slowly. "I don't think it does."

Gwendal stiffened as Conrad suddenly sat up straight, ignoring the sudden searing pain on his abdomen and Yozak's worried "Hey!"

The grey-haired Royal Administrator gestured Günter to take a seat next to his bed, a sign that he wanted the lilac-haired Royal Advisor to tell him everything he knew. Günter obeyed. Once he was seated, everything was told. About how exactly they did the maryoku therapy. About Gisela's theory that the curse was decreasing Wolfram's maryoku, fast. About how the therapy didn't seem to have much effect on the blond mazoku.

It was when Günter was done with his explanation that a voice came from the door, "Maa.. that truly puts us in a difficult situation, then."

Four heads turned to the door to see the Daikenja stood there, glasses gleaming. Gwendal unconsciously sat up straighter as the soukoku walked in.

Yozak shifted a little uncomfortably, but not even Conrad noticed. All eyes were fixed on the Great Sage, watching as he heaved a sigh, and pulled a chair to sit next to Conrad's bed. A serious, yet wistful and regretful expression appeared on his face.

"I'm sorry," he said, voice nearly a whisper. "Not even Shinou found out how to break the curse. Even after he dived deep into Isenbert's conscience."

--o0oYuuRamo0o--

"Oi, Murata! I said, wait!!"

The bespectacled soukoku paused on his tracks upon hearing Yuuri's voice. Turning, he put on a cheerful smile on his physiognomy and beamed, "Yah! Shibuya!"

The 16-year-old Maou was chasing him with long strides, and he looked extremely annoyed—and Murata had to grin inwardly upon seeing that. Yuuri must've been pissed off about something.

"I need to talk to you," Yuuri demanded, eyes looking seriously into Murata's. "I need your opinion, Murata."

Murata raised an innocent eyebrow. "Oh? You asked my opinion? That's unusual. Haven't you asked Weller-kyo about it, yet?"

The Daikenja had to restrain his laugh as he watched Yuuri flustered. "Well.. well.. I can't ask him for this one… I.. um.. well.. you know.. it's kinda complicated, and Conrad's injured, so I don't want to bother him.."

Putting up an expression of an injured puppy, Murata sighed dramatically, "Really, Shibuya. Am I just a replacement?"

"Murata!" Yuuri felt like tearing out his hair in frustration. "I'm serious!"

This time, the Daikenja let out a hearty laugh. "Does this have anything to do with Von Bielefeld-kyo?"

Yuuri blinked, and a faint pinkish tinge suddenly decorated his cheeks as he stammered, "H… how do you know?"

A toothy grin made it way up his face. "Maa… you forgot that I'm the Daikenja, Shibuya," he turned his back on Yuuri, his glasses gleamed. "All I can say right now, Shibuya, is that you have to look deep inside yourself to find an answer. Forget about other stuff, forget about the curse. Know yourself, Shibuya."

Yuuri blinked. "Know.. myself?" his voice sounded like dreaming as he contemplate what his friend had just said. Murata smirked and continued his walk down the corridor.

It wasn't until he reached the end of corridor when he heard Yuuri yelled, "Wait Murata!! You know about the curse?!"

Stopping on his track, he turned his head slightly. Sending a teasing smile, he replied, "Why don't you try asking Von Bielefeld-kyo himself about that, Shibuya?"

--o0oYuuRamo0o--

The flower garden was full of colors. Every flowers was in its bloom, displaying their most beautiful form, attracting every person to stop and admire their ethereal beauty. Inviting people to spend their time watching them, or playing around them. And few people could resist the invitation. That was why, that afternoon, Wolfram and Greta were seen sitting on the garden bench as the little princess played with a Mysterious Gwendal in her hand.

"Are you really okay, Wolfram?" she looked up worriedly. "You look pale."

Smiling the blond mazoku pinched he so-called daughter's cheek. "Of course. I'm a soldier, remember? A soldier have to be strong. This is really nothing."

That got him a smile from the brown-haired little girl. "Then, can Greta go collectsome flowers for Gwendal and Conrad?"

"Sure. They'll like them."

Sqeualing cutely, the little princess jumped off the bench and ran to the flowers. Wolfram watched her moved from one bushes to another as she picked up and chose each flower thoughtfully. A small smile etched on his expression upon seeing the brown-haired girl skipping happily among the thick bushes of flowers, humming a song he recognized as the one he had once played for her.

He yawned. The sleepiness was now unbearable. His eyelids felt heavy, and his vision blurred. _So sleepy…_ he thought_. Maybe it's okay to close my eyes for a second and open them again…_

"Chiisa-Aniue will come. It's my birthday, so he'll come."

An all-too-familiar, small figure of a little blond prince was sitting on the windowsill in a big room that seemed so empty despite the huge bed, closets, and toys scattered all over the room. His legs dangled cutely as he gazed at the moon outside the window, cuddling a small knitted animal doll and murmured, "He'll come."

Wolfram felt cold, and he wondered why the hell that little boy didn't wear any warm clothes or even blankets, before realizing that the room was his room. And the little boy.. was him.

He blinked. _Is this a dream? How weird.._

"_But it would be troublesome for him, don't you think,"_ a deep, reverberating voice rang in his ears. _"And anyway, it's only your birthday. Your Chiisa-Aniue has much more important things to do than to come to a selfish little brother who did nothing except disdain him for being a half-human and wish him a Happy Birthday."_

"But Chiisa-Aniue will come. He always did," the boy uttered out loud, as if countering the deep voice and reassure himself that, indeed, his brother would come. But the deep voice only laughed darkly.

"_He won't. You've hurt him too much, you should've realized that. And you've been such a burden for him—having someone else to protect while he himself had many things to do. Ever thought that it'd be easier for him if you just….say, disappear, maybe?"_

The boy's shoulders were hunched back, and Wolfram heard a stifled sob as a tear rolled down his cheek. The little boy hugged the knitted animal tighter as he cried quietly, his body shuddering, and he muttered again and again, "He'll come. He'll come.."

Something constricted in his chest. He knew that 'Chiisa-Aniue' wouldn't come until next week. Wolfram still remembered how he himself had thrown away the present his 'Chiisa-Aniue' offered to him, and snapped harshly that he didn't need any present from a half-human.

Wolfram gripped his chest. _Why does it hurt so bad?_

"_Because you know how useless you are,"_ the reverberating voice said, and Wolfram saw his surroundings changed. _"Remember, Wolfram? You've always been too much of a hassle for everybody—your family, and even Yuuri. It must be relieving for them if you could just disappear, no?"_

A familiar office appeared, and Wolfram saw his oldest brother signing stacks of paper while the same little blond boy—himself—was standing in front of the tall, wooden desk, pouting and looking angry.

"Aniue!" the little boy shrieked. "I want to go to other towns! I'm bored!'

Gwendal—must've been around his thirties—massaged the bridge of his nose, looking annoyed. "No. It's dangerous outside the castle, and I can't accompany you. I still have a lot to do."

"But! Hahaue is busy, too! And Weller-kyo could go wherever he wants, so why can't I?"

"Because you're still a child."

"I'm not! See here!" before Gwendal could respond, the boy had raised both of his hands and chanter. The next second, small fireballs flew to every direction and before Gwendal knew it, his office was in fire.

"Wolfram!" he bellowed, furious at how unreasonable his baby brother was. "Stop being a brat!"

The little boy stiffened in shock, but quickly recovered. Running out of the office, he shrieked, "I hate Aniue!!"

Tears welled up in the blond's emerald orbs. He remembered. And it was still clear in his mind, too, how he had locked himself in the room afterwards, crying until he fell asleep of exhaustion, cuddling the little wooden sword Conrad had given him and the knitted animal Gwendal had made, and curled up inside Cecilie's favorite blanket he took the night before.

"_Yes, it was lonely, wasn't it?"_ there was a tone of pity in the voice. _"You knew you'd only be a bother if you asked more and more of them. Even until now. Even for Yuuri, you've only been a burden."_

A sob escaped him. He felt as if he was hollow inside. Was he that useless? Even though his family loved him.. could he really be nothing except a hassle? Even now?

_It hurts…_ he screamed inwardly. The pain, regret, loneliness…everything mixed into one.

Yuuri's figure before him, eyes sad. Wolfram's eyes widened when he saw Yuuri's arms were tied.

"_You're holding him back,"_ the voice chastised him. _"Have you ever thought that maybe, just maybe, if you dropped the whole engagement off, he might be happier—and more content—than he is now?"_

"But I love him.." he whispered painfully. "I've never loved anyone like I love him.."

"_If you truly loved him, wouldn't you be happy if he was happy—regardless of whomever he was happy with?"_ there was a tinge of sadness in that voice. _"You do know that he doesn't love you that way."_

"But maybe over time.."

"_You're being selfish again."_ The voice chided. _"Aren't you going to let go? Don't you think it's for the best? The faster you give in, it'd be better for everybody. Your family wouldn't have to worry about you and the curse anymore, and Yuuri would be free. They would move on."_

Something pounded in his chest—and it hrt, hurt so badly that he thought his chest was going to burst out and then he'd die. Maybe it was a better ending than the curse—being trapped between life and death.

Something hot and wet trailed down his cheeks.

"_They'd be sad, of course,"_ the voice continued. _"But they'd let you go and move on. And you wouldn't be a burden anymore,"_ it was gentle, soothing. _"All you have to do is just sleep and let go."_

"…fram..?" there was another voice… who was it?

"_Don't you love them enough to let go?"_

"Wolfram..?"

"…_sleep tight."_

"Wolfraaam! Wake up!"

His emerald eyes snapped open, and a beautiful face framed with curly brown bangs came into his vision.

"…Greta.." he smiled, stroking her hair affectionately. The little girl looked confused as she raised her hand to touch his cheeks.

"..you're crying," she pointed out. Wolfram chuckled as he drew his daughter into a warm, tight hug. Burying his face on the brown strands, he murmured, "I had a bad dream."

Greta blinked once. Then, she patted Wolfram's back reassuringly. "It's okay. It's just a dream," she cooed, imitating what Yuuri always did to her whenever she had a nightmare. Wolfram tightened his embrace.

"Greta, will you listen to me?"

"Hnn?" the girl tilted her head slightly upwards, but the blond tucked her head under his chin. Greta never knew that at that moment, tears were flowing freely from Wolfram's emerald eyes.

"When you've matured up.. don't be embarrassed to show your love to the people you treasure.." his voice came out even although his throat hurt like hell. "Never care about what people say if you're doing the right thing… or if you love someone. Don't let what people say blinds you. And never, ever lie to yourself. Don't let your pride turns you into a self-centered person, and don't let your prejudice clouds your judgment. Understand?"

"Wolfram?" the tone Greta used was full of confusion.

"Fate can't be avoided. Make the most of your life, Greta…and be thankful of it." Wolfram tightened his embrade—so tight that he could feel Greta's jaw moving, mouthing his name. He took a deep breath.

"Don't be like me, Greta. Don't be like Yuuri right now, either. You'll hurt so many people."

Small arms wounded around Wolfram's back, returning the hug, and the blond heard a soft, childish murmur that would reverberate in his mind forever.

"I love you, Wolfram."

"I love you, too, Greta."

--o0oYuuRamo0o--

"Are you sure we're doing the right thing?" the Daikenja murmured softly as he watched the gleaming water in the bowl that was hovering in the middle of the sacred room where the boxes was kept. The water rippled gently, and the soukoku sighed.

"There's no other way," a gentle, yet slightly pompous-toned voice came to his ears.

"It's cruel."

"Everything is." The replya made Murata sighed deeply as he turned his head towards the figure sitting nonchalantly on one of the sacred boxes. Putting his hands on his waist, he looked straight into the Original King's eyes.

"He's your descendant, you know. And don't you think he'd suffered quite enough in the ordeal with Soushu and those stupid boxes?" the soukoku shook his head, exasperated. "Even I, sometimes, feel guilty about it."

"Ah, but my Daikenja," Shinou cocked his head innocently. "I'm doing this for my descendant's sake, and you know that."

"But is it really necessary?" said Daikenja countered as he neared the blond King.

Taunting, Shinou let his ghostly hand brushed the side of Murata's face, and he smiled as the latter suppressed a shiver. Placing his hand to cup his Daikenja's cheek, he murmured, "Don't you trust me?"

Murata gave him an incredulous gaze. "After all this time? After all those pranks and jokes you've played on me? No one could ever guess what's actually in your head."

"Yes, but you _understand_. That's all that matters."

"You're insane." The soukoku grumbled, earning a light, hearty chuckle from the blond King.

"But you love this insane King." His eyes dances. Murata fought back a blush, a useless effort. A gentle smile finally appeared on the King's face.

"Nonetheless, in the end," Shinou continued. "Everything would depend on how his family—and Yuuri-Heika, of course—act. I'm only helping. They have to choose their own fate."

--o0oYuuRamo0o--

Sometimes, Yuuri wondered if all things he thought could make him insane.

Maybe Murata was right. Maybe he needed to sort out his thoughts.

Sighing, the soukoku slumped onto his studying table. Those paperwork really didn't have any place in his head right now. He had to calm his mind down. And seeing as he was alone in the room at the moment, maybe it was the best time to do so.

He stood up, and moved to the window. It was really nice outside, too. It was warm for autumn days, and the breeze felt really good. Enjoying te naughty wind tossinghis short black hair backwards, he took a deep breath, closed his mind, and cleared his thoughts. His breath came in long inhalations and exhalations until he felt really calm. And the first thing that came to his mind was..

_Wolfram._

Hundreds, thousands, possibly millions of Wolfram's images flooding his mind. Angry Wolfram, sleeping Wolfram, arrogant Wolfram, narcissistic Wolfram, happy Wolfram, smiling Wolfram, tired Wolfram… and countless other images and expressions the blond had shown Yuuri..

Somehow, his heart felt warm. A small smile appeared on his physiognomy. He had to admit that Wolfram was, indeed, very dear to him. _And he does look like an angel…_

As if it was a cue, Wolfram's voice reverberated in his heart. _"If you fall, I will fall with you."_

Ah, he always felt secure every time those words rang in his heart. He felt reassured. There was someone that, no matter what, would always stand by his side.

But, wasn't Conrad like that, too? Didn't Conrad say that no matter what, he'd do anything for what Yuuri believed in? What was the difference, then? Sure, with Conrad, he felt safe. The ever-smiling man was the best swordsman ever, after all. But still, the safety he felt with Conrad was different than what Wolfram gave him.

While Conrad would do anything—without any doubt or question—for Yuuri and his idealism, his loyalty and protection was blind, Yuuri realized. He would still obey Yuuri even when the soukoku did something wrong. But Wolfram… was different. If Yuuri made a mistake, he'd yell, and try to force the young king to see reason. He'd argue, he'd throw a fit only to make Yuuri reconsider his decision.

And although Yuuri rarely wanted to reconsider his decision, even if he grumbled in irritation, Wolfram would still stand by his side. Protecting him.. even though when it was proven that Yuuri's decision was indeed irreasonable, he'd throw an "I told you so" look at the young king.

Ah, so that was it, Yuuri realized. That was the difference. With Wolfram, he felt assured that he was doing the right thing. Not only he felt safe, but also reassured. That was probably the best thing of having Wolfram right by his side.

Wolfram's loyalty was different then the others. He wouldn't lie to him, he'd tell the soukoku the truth whatever it was. More than a protector, Wolfram was his best friend. That was clear.

But then… why did his heart skip a beat whenever the blond mazoku appeared withing his range of sight? Murata was his best friend, and his heart never skipped a beat when Murata appeared. Well, at least not in the same way—Murata could always shocked him with his sudden appearance, after all.

Anyway, and sometimes, it was kinda hard to breathe when Wolfram was far too close to him. As if the oxygen in this world wasn't—wouldn't be—enough. The same thing happened when he felt that Wolfram was too far away and he couldn't reach the blond. It was as if there was no air around him, and he was choked. He was also very accustomed to Wolfram's warmth on the other side of the bed. It gave him a feeling of… contentment.

But what mattered the most… was probably Wolfram's own existence. It was just not the same without the blond mazoku around him—breathing, smiling, shouting, living—being bossy and stuff. Everything seemed to be different if he wasn't there—every color seemed to fade… and there was something—pounding hard—on his chest tightening without Wolfram.

He just simply couldn't imagine it.

A flash of Wolfram's pale, expressionless face as he lay on the grass—right after they found out that his heart had stopped breathing. He remembered.. and it was such a weird feeling—it wasn't sadness he had felt, not anger, not even wanting to cry. It was—Yuuri's eyebrows scrunched up looking for the words—nothing. Nothing at all.

Yeah, that was what he had felt back then. Nothing. Absolutely nothing. He was numb. He couldn't feel, couldn't react, couldn't think. He didn't cry because he felt numb. His brain—his conscience simply refused to register, or admit, that Wolfram's existence had ceased, that the blond mazoku had died. The only thing his mind could register was the growing feeling in his chest. A feeling like he had just lost something—big, very much treasured, irreplaceable—and the thing he lost had left a huge wmptiness inside him. An emptiness that—he somehow knew—wouldn't be able to be filled by anything. He felt… hollow. Empty.

The feeling of knowing that he wouldn't be able to be complete ever again.

Yuuri's eyes flew open, realization shone in his eyes.

That was it. The feeling was different, indeed, than what he felt when they all thought Conrad was dead. But why was it different? Both Conrad and Wolfram were his best friends..

_When I passed the portal.._ Yuuri thought, _I felt that way, too. Empty. And I thought it was because I'd never come back and see everyone again. Now that I think about it.._

The memory of the day he had beaten Soushu flashed in his mind—still vivid, every detail, every little thing that had happened—and he could still remember—could still feel—how it felt when Murata told him that the portal was their last chance to get back home (and for the first time, Yuuri wondered which world was his home now). He was shocked to hear that, and sad. That's what he felt. He didn't feel empty. But then..

"_Go! My fiancé wouldn't be so heartless he could abandon his family."_

Those words… what Wolfram had said back then, somehow, made him feel somewhat empty. Even now, when he remembered it, he still felt the emptiness. Yuuri opened his eyes, staring blankly ahead.

He had listened to everybody back then. He'd stabbed Morgif to the ground and turned his back as the others encouraged him to go. He wanted to go without turning back, without a word, and he was almost able to do so if it wasn't for a voice he'd grown very used to hear, calling him in a tone that he had never heard before..

"_Yuuri.."_

_And that was when I felt as if the emptiness was going to swallow me whole._

_His voice.. was different, it shook as if he were crying. And I didn't dare to turn back, because..I was afraid to see him crying…_

_And if I had turned back, would I have been able to go through the portal?_

He wouldn't be able to let go of everything. He wouldn't be able to leave—his deepest corner of heart whispered—Wolfram. Then, was it Wolfram or Shin Makoku he had said a single 'goodbye' to?

_But this isn't love, right? I mean.. I'm a normal teenager, and I have never, ever showed any sign of being a homosexual. Besides, I never really love—not even like—anyone that way…_

"_But if you've never fallen in love, how do you know that you're not in love, Shibuya?"_ Murata's voice reverberated in his mind. Again, Yuuri closed his eyes. He was just too confused, and there were just too many things he wanted to think over.

Maybe he'd better not rush. He still had time, right?

"Yuuri, wimp! What the heck are you doing, day dreaming?" the familiar bossy voice snapped him back into reality. Yuuri sighed and turned.

"Wolfram." He murmured. And he was quite surprised when a smile appeared on his face without warning. Well, he wasn't the only one. Apparently, Wolfram was, too, because he was now giving Yuuri an incredulous look.

"What's with your cheery attitude today?" the fire-wielder pput down another stack of paper he'd brought in, earning a groan from Yuuri. He rolled his eyes at that, before laying his gaze on the unfinished stacks of paper. "Geez, Yuuri.. what have you been doing all the time?"

"But I've been signing papers!" the young king protested. "I haven't done anything else since noon!"

The petite mazoku snorted. "I won't be surprised if you were flirting with the maids again," he said indignantly. Yuuri's eyes narrowed at that.

"I didn't! Stop accusing me like that, Wolfram! Here I am, trying my best to be a good king and not being a burden for anybody, and you came here only to accuse me of cheating again?" Yuuri sulkily snatched one paper on the top of the stack and signed it, sighing in exasperation.

Wolfram didn't answer. Instead, he moved to stand by the windowsill, gazing outside the window absently, as Yuuri signed some more papers. For once, the two enjoyed the rare silence between them.

"Na, Yuuri,"

Yuuri looked up. "Hm?" he blinked at the sight. Wolfram, standing by the windowsill, his gaze cast outside, with the early sunset rays poured on his figure, suddenly looked as if he were the most fragile thing in the world.

_Something.._ Yuuri's hand subconsciously moved, reaching for the blond figure that suddenly seemed so far away. _Something.. isn't right. I can felt it. He seems so far.. and if I don't reach him and get a hold of him now, I'll lose him. He seems so fragile.. and ephemeral being that could be shattered any second… and I just wanted to protect him.. keep him close.._

"Yuuri?" the confused tone snapped him back to reality. He blinked, only to see his left hand clutching the blond's arm sleeve. He raised his eyes. Onyx orbs met emerald ones. Several moments passed in silence.

"Ah.. ahaha.." Yuuri chuckled nervously as he hastily removed his hand. "It's.. nothing. Wh.. what was it you wanted to say?"

Wolfram's clear green eyes seemed to be scrutinizing him, but then, the mazoku reverted his eyes, returning his gaze out.

"Na, Yuuri," he began, "As long as you're our Maou, you won't let any war happen to Shin Makoku anymore, right?"

Yuuri turned his body to face the petite figure by the windowsill. "What are you talking about? Of course I'll always try my best so it won't happen. I don't want any more war.." he cast his gaze down to the floor and murmured determinedly, "I won't let it happen. Definitely."

Wolfram's gaze fell on Yuuri's figure, and a sincere, loving smile appeared on his physiognomy. Affectionately, he murmured, "You're such a wimp." _And I have full faith on you._

"Don't call me wimp," Yuuri countered back, out of habit. That drew a light chuckle from the blond. A smile crept up on the soukoku's face at that.

"Yuuri," the fire-wielder continued. "If.. if a war had to happen…and you just have no choice.. you wouldn't let either Gwendal or Conrad die, would you?"

Yuuri blinked. "Huh?"

"I mean, if there was a war, and both Gwendal and Conrad were sent to the battlefield.. whatever might happen, you'd come for them if they needed help, right? You won't abandon them or let them die.. right?"

"Of course!" Yuuri burst out answering, not believing what he had just heard. Was Wolfram doubting him? "I would never leave my friends! And there would be no more war! I won't let anyone die!"

Unexpectedly, a sincere—somewhat relieved and trusting and satisfied at once—smile was etched on the blond's physiognomy. It was the most beautiful smile Yuuri had ever seen from the petite prince, and yet, somehow it sent a shiver down his spine. There was just.. something different about Wolfram..

"Wolf.." he breathed out, but the blond cut him off.

"Aniue and Conrad will be in the dinner tonight. Gisela has released them and she said they're well enough to do daily activities, except training and any other har-working activities."

At once, Yuuri's face brightened. "Really?"

"Yeah, really. So you'd better finish your work quickly and don't be late for dinner, wimp."

"Wolfram! Don't call me that!"

Wolfram gave a chuckle, and cast back his gaze outside while Yuuri turned back his attention to his work. Several moments passed in silence.

"Yuuri," Wolfram broke the silence, his tone demanding. The soukoku turned, and Wolfram got his fullest attention. "Hm?"

Emeralds clashed with Onyx, and Yuuri was taken aback at the intense feeling behind those green, beautiful orbs of his fiancé. Yet, a beautiful smile was still etched perfectly on his face.

"I love you." Wolfram whispered. "I love you. Always."

As if the time had frozen, Yuuri remained still, his eyes wide ope in shock, and Wolfram absentmindedly wondered if the young king was still breathing. Deciding that it was best to leave Yuuri alone on his own, he moved from his place to the door. Opening it, he turned to look at his fiancé. There was such a loving, endearing feeling shone in his emerald eyes.

"Don't be late for dinner, wimp."

_I love you, Yuuri._

And the door was slammed shut.

--o0oYuuRamo0o--

The delicious smell of curry wafted around the room, teasing anyone's appetite for dinner. Sweet smell of warm tea mixed with the smell of Celi's Red Sigh o the center of the table gave a relaxing effect on the current occupants of the room: Yuuri, Greta, Gwendal, Günter, Conrad, Cecilie, and Anissina.

"Where's Wolfram?" Yuuri voiced out, and six head turned to him questioningly.

"He's not with you, Heika?" Günter inquired carefully as he felt the tension rose in the air.

Yuuri shook his head. "He didn't come into our room before dinner." He said. "I thought he was with either Gwendal or Conrad."

"I'll look for him." Conrad instantly said and rose to his feet, concern was clear on his face. "He didn't say he'd skip dinner, so he should be her by now."

"Conrad, sit down." Gwendal's calm voice cut in. "I'm quite sure he's in his own room. I'll go get him."

"Wait a minute!" Greta cried. "Gwendal and Conrad have just gotten better, ne? Yuuri, let Greta go get Wolfram, ne?"

The young Maou nodded. "Greta's right. You two have just released from bed, you shouldn't force yourself. Greta, go tell Wolfram that we're all waiting for him."

"Hai!"

It didn't take long for the girl to skip down the hallway to Wolfram's room. She had been there several times, and she knew the fastest way to get there.

Carefully opening the huge wooden door of Wolfram's room, she poked her head in. "Wolfram? It's Greta. Dinner's ready, everyone is waiting."

Receiving no answer, the brown-haired princess slipped in. "Wolfram?" she called again as she caught a sight of a figure sitting on the chair by the opened window. The last streaks of sunset came in through the window and fell on the blond figure, shining over his closed eyes and his peaceful expression—lips opened a little and he looked completely relaxed—making him look angelic. Greta made her way to the blond figure.

"Ne, Wolfram? Are you asleep?"

The little princess reached forward to touch the sleeping blond's arm. Shaking it a bit, she called, a spoiled tone in her voice. "Woolf-raa-am!"

And the arm fell lifelessly to the blond's side.

Greta's breath hitched in surprise and she subconsciously stepped back. But then, her natural instinct kicked in, she lurched forward, taking Wolfram's hand in hers.

"Wolfram? Wolfram?!"

The hand in hers was cold.

Greta's eyes widened.

"Wolfram??"

--o0oYuuRamo0o--

tbc!

--o0oYuuRamo0o--

A/N: Nyaaan! Finally! Okay, -determined- I have to finish this fic, I have to!! Thank you so much for reading. Reviews? Con-crits are luffed!

I hope this is longer enough to make up for the last short chapter. Gomennasai. I's hard to find a computer to type.. ahaha..

Next Chapter: No one wants to let go.. and so did Yuuri.

Mata ato de!

-isumi'kivic' and Ilde-


	13. Snap

Title: Pride and Prejudice

Author: isumi'kivic'

Beta: None for this chapter. I haven't been able to contact Mabs-fantasy, so I had posted this without her beta-ing.

Pairings: YuuriWolfram, as usual. Slight ShinouMurata in this chapter.

Warning and Disclaimer: See previous chapter, please.

A/N: I'm sorry is all I can say, but I know no excuse would have made me forgiven. But still, I'm sorry, though, for never updating in almost a year. So, here is the thirteenth chapter. No, I'm not abandoning this fic at all, though I had to admit that I lost my YuuRam muse after the disappointment caused by the third season's ending. But I'm continuing this. Please read and leave a review, ne? It'd mean so much for me.

Please enjoy~!

Pride and Prejudice, a Kyou Kara Maou fanfiction

Chapter 13: Snap

Within the young years of her life, Greta had come to know so much about the dark terror that was death.

Maybe, she knew a little bit too much about it.

Greta herself knew, despite her naïve and childish attitudes, she had long lost her innocence as a kid. She knew—and had been to—the battlefield, remembered how strong the smell of blood and how red an haunting it was. She had some ideas about how to push a dagger through somebody's flesh, and she could almost imagine how warm the red liquid burst out nearly instantly. She had seen dead bodies—corpses—pale and cold and so white and not breathing. She was not as innocent as other little girls were.

Even so, she was still a little kid who easily got scared and panicked—or shocked.

Dazed she was as she stepped out of the big room that was Wolfram's and onto the hallway, thousands of questions swirled in her head, but her mind registered none of them. There was only one image it stuck on: the image of a golden-haired figure on a chair, pale under the sunset rays—red and orange, and why, why did it remind her so much about blood and battlefield—and the feeling of a deadly cold hand she'd touched.

Stopping on her tracks, the brown-haired girl's feet wobbled, and almost instantly, she crumpled to her knees and broke into quiet, heartbreaking sobs. Her hands moved up to try wiping off the tears sloppily, but to no avail. The salty drops kept falling down her eyes and running down her cheeks, as more sobs racked her body.

She was confused. She didn't know what to do. And for the first time since they all got back to Shin Makoku, she was afraid.

Because she was still much of a kid, after all.

"Hime-sama?" a familiar voice called, followed by hurried footsteps, and Greta felt a warm hand rested on her shoulders. She looked up, and through tears, she recognized Anissina's worried face. Anissina's eyebrows were knitted in confusion and worry as she carefully pulled the little girl into her arms. Running her fingers through the brown strands, she whispered in concern, "What's the matter?"

Greta choked out a whimper, managing to let out a weak, terrified-toned, "Wolf…ram…"

Instantly, Anissina's hand froze in its motion. She pulled back a little, and gripped Greta's shoulder with such urgency that Greta's eyes widened. But Anissina needed an answer.

"Is he okay? What happened?"

Droplets of tears made its way down the princess' cheeks. "W…Wolfram…h-he wouldn't…waku up…" she squeezed her eyes shut. "Greta…th-thinks… he's… h-he's…"

Anissina's eyes narrowed. _But it's not even his birthday yet! How come?_

"Listen to me, Hime-sama," she said in soothing tone, after a second of contemplating what to do. Wiping off more tears that were practically flowing from the warm brown eyes, Anissina smiled softly and continued, "This is the time when we have to be strong. Don't cry now. I will get Gisela and check on Wolfram. You, Hime-sama, please go back and ask everyone to come to Wolfram's room. You have to stop crying so they wouldn't be panic, alright?"

Terrified brown eyes met determined ruby ones. "B-but… but I…"

"When men are clueless, women have to take over," Anissina said firmle. "We have to be strong, Hime-sama. Now, go. And don't cry…" she paused, closing her eyes, and continued quietly, "This is also for Wolfram's sake…"

Greta wiped her eyes vigorously. "Greta understands," she nodded, her body shaking. "Greta will try not to cry, Anissina…"

Then the little princess hugged Anissina once more before scurrying off in a hurry. Anissina rose to her feet. She took a deep breath, an exactly that time, she caught a sight of a certain soldier.

"Dakaskos!" she bellowed, making the bald soldier jumped in shock. "Get Gisela in Wolfram's room, right now!"

"Hai!" and off he rushed.

She let out a sigh and turned on her heels, and with firm steps, she strode towards Wolfram's room.

It wasn't her first time entering the big room. Anissina had often found Gwendal in this room back when they were little—Gwendal always spared some of his time from learning politics and other stuff to check on his baby brother, even when Wolfram was with his nanny, until he finally got so caught up in running the Kingdom.

Upon entering the room, she noticed that the sun had almost set completely. But the remnants of its rays were still shining slightly upon the ephemeral being asleep on the chair next to the window. Not moving.

Anissina hung her head, shaking it sadly.

"Oh, Wolfram…"

-----o0oYuuRamo0o-----

All eyes were on Greta immediately the moment she entered the grand dining room.

The girl trembled, her face pale with obvious trepidation. She looked up to meet questioning eyes of the others.

Her head swarmed. Confusion, fear, panic, and knowledge that she had to tell everyone—all those feelings swam in her mind, making her chest hurt and her head heavy. She barley recognized her adopted father got up from his chair, nearing her, frowning at the traces of tears on her cheeks, and cautiously knelt down, touching a brown curl of her. "Greta, what's wrong? What happened?"

The only thing Greta managed to say out loud enough for everyone to hear was a "Wolfram is…" and she collapsed into her father's arms.

Yuuri gasped. "Greta!"

In a second in which the information sank into the others' minds, both Gwendal and Conrad instantly leapt off their chairs and fled out of the room and down the hall. Hot on their heels was Cecilie, her face contorted in worry and fear. Günter followed suit, stopping next to Yuuri and, in a hurried tone, asked, "Heika?"

"…I…I…" Yuuri stuttered, obviously in shock. Günter took pity on him as he put one hand on Yuuri's shoulder while the other grabbed Greta's shoulder, giving a sign for the Maou to hand the little princess over. Yuuri blinked, his brain finally registered everything, and he quickly stood on his feet, Greta in his arms, and started running down the hall.

He could hear Cecilie's painful wails as he neared the large room he had only entered once—the room he knew as Wolfram's. His heartbeat quickened, and, subconsciously, he gripped Greta's body harder. The unknown, cold feeling he'd never felt before crept up in his heart. As he stepped into the unfamiliar room, he froze.

There—now laid on the bed—was Wolfram—eyes closed, face pasle with a peaceful expression, not breathing, unmoving. His goldem hair fanned out all over the white-clothed pillow. On his side, Cecilie was on her knees, sobbing so hard she didn't seem to was bending over towards the blond, her hands hovering above Wolfram's head, glowing green, but her expression was grave. Standing next to where Cecilie was was Gwendal, his hands fisted into a ball, knuckles white. His expression was tight—almost like anger, but more like confusion—or maybe denial. Conrad stood a little way from the rest of his family, hand gripping the bedpost so tight, his breathing fast, and there was absolute fear reflecting in his brown, worried eyes.

Yuuri could hear Günter gasp almost dramatically, before rushing forth to stand behind Gwendal. Almost gingerly, Yuuri stepped inside, eyes never leaving the figure lying on the bed. He was only a meter away when Anissina—previously standing not far from Conrad—approached him, softly taking Greta's body over. As if he was numb, Yuuri let her, a portion of his mind only registered that it was Anissina who took Greta, so it was okay.

The green glow on Gisela's hands' slowly dimmed and finally went out as Gisela stepped back beads of sweat wetting her face. Exhausted, she shook her head in hopeless gesture. "I can't…the curse us preventing my maryoku to reach Wolfram's…"

"But why…?" Conrad breathed, disbelief thick in his voice. "It's…it's not even his birthday yet…"

Gwendal growled, "He's not supposed to be asleep yet! Wake him up!" his whole body was trembling so hard with what semed to be anger. His eyes narrowed, focused on the green-haired healer, and Gisela flinched at the intensity of his glare.

"I've tried my best," she confessed. "The curse is too strong…I can't even find any trace—any way to reach his maryoku that's left in him. I'm…sorry…"

Cecilie sobbed. "Wolfie…oh Wolfie…why? You promised, remember? When you were ten…you promised you'd never leave me like your father did…wake up, sweetheart. Hahaue's here. Please, please wake up…"

"Can't you… do something, Gisela?" Conrad pleaded, eyes desperate for once, face pale. "I'll help. I'll do anything, whatever it takes. I'll…just…" he trailed off, gripping the bedpost tighter—if possible. He hung his head, bangs covering his eyes as he breathed a "…please…" shakily.

Günter put a hand on Gwendal's shoulder, but the latter didn't seem to notice at all. Yuuri knelt next to Cecilie, a hand reaching to touch a curl of golden strands. His fingertip touched the velvet skin of his fiancé's cheek, and he froze.

It was cold.

"Wolfram…" _Oh no. Not again. You're not leaving me. Didn't you say that if I fall, you'll fall with me?_

"Wolfram…" voice raising, he reached for the blond's arm, shaking it slowly. "Wake up, wake up. You're not dead, wake up. You can't…" when he didn't get any reaction, he shook his fiancé's body more forcefully. "You can't leave me… not now! You promised to be by my side, always! Wake up! Wake up!"

Nothing. From the corner of his eyes, Yuuri noticed Gisela shake her head sadly. His chest tightening more that it hurt badly, Yuuri shook the blond's body fiercer. "You have to wake up! Wolfram! Wake up, it's an order! Do you hear me? Open your eyes and answer me! Wake up!" he looked up, gazing at the others around frantically. "Do something! We have to do something! There must be something we can do… just like… like back then when we thought he was…"

The sound of a hand colliding so hard with a cheek echoed in the chamber. Yuuri's eyes widened, as he felt the stinging pain on his right cheek. Günter gasped in shock. Gisela's hand flew up to cover her gaping mouth.

Cecilie had slapped the Maou's right cheek.

Her whole body was trembling both in fear and anger, but something unreadable shone in her eyes. And for once, Yuuri was reminded of how similar those emerald orbs looked with his fiancé's passionate, fiery emerald eyes.

"How dare you say such a thing so lightly, Heika!" Cecilie bit out, voice venomous. "You have absolutely no right to do so! Do you even have the slightest idea of what actually happened to my son? Oh, you might know already that a curse cause this…but you certainly have no idea what caused it!"

Yuuri was speechless. His mind registered what Cecilie said, and it hurt much more than the stinging sensation on his right cheek. "Celi..sama…"

"If only you wouldn't let him to be your fiancé! If only you'd just break the engagement before he got too deep in it, and not giving him false hopes…maybe he wouldn't grow to love you! Then the curse wouldn't work…couldn't work… and he'd be safe…" Cecilie aqueezed her eyes shut, her tone turned into a slightly hysterical one. "But no! You just have to hurt him, don't you? You didn't only refuse to acknowledge the engagement…you refused to see that he loved you, to receive the love he wanted to give to you solely! Do you have the slightest idea how much you have hurt my son? How much pain you have caused him?!"

"Celi-sama!" Günter quickly left his place beside Gwendal, intending to calm the ex-Maou down. "Please, mind your manners! I understand your feelings, but…"

"I know what I am doing, Günter!" Cecilie's voice was shrill, and Yuuri flinched at the anger and hatred in her voice. "And I am talking as a mother who knows that the very person who had hurt her now-dead-son is standing right before her eyes…"

"Hahaue!" both Gwendal and Conrad reacted hard at the word 'dead', but Cecilie paid no heed.

"If you really don't want the engagement, why didn't you just break it? Why allow him to start loving you? Why did you allow him to play a father for Greta—let him hope for a family—another one he could try to make perfect out of it—something he'd never had?"

Yuuri's throat tightened. _That's not it_, he wanted to scream out. _That's not it! I just don't want… to hurt Wolfram by calling the engagement off…_

"I wouldn't say I know him best…" Cecilie sobbed, sinking to her knees once more. "I don't. I'm not a good mother… but he told me. Once…when we watched the sunrise together. He wished…that at least you'd let him love you like he wanted to, even thought you wouldn't love him back. Oh, Wolfie…"

Gisela quickly went over to Cecilie, put her hands on the ex-Maou's head as it started glowing green again, tying to calm her down. Gwendal gritted his teeth.

"Günter," he gritted out. "Please, bring Heika out of here."

Günter stared at the grey-haired mazoku for a moment, before finally nodded and took a long breath.

"I understand. Excuse me."

Conrad watched the Royal Advisor steered his godson towards the door. Yuuri's expression pained him. He knew that everything wasn't the soukoku's fault at all. But there was just a need… a need to blame someone, to unleashe the heavy feeling buried in his heart in order to control himself—anger, grief, sadness, disbelief, regrets…denials…

He let his brother slipped off entirely this time, and now he had no idea how to find him.

-----o0oYuuRamo0o-----

Yuuri's deep onyx eyes bore into Günter's guilty lilac ones, searching for an answer he knew was hidden there. And Günter had to admit then, that his Maou was indeed not a young teenager who was still clueless in everything in this world. Yuuri certainly had grown up, matured and changed in so many ways. But Günter knew he was still and would always be Yuuri—the peace-loving, good-natured, slightly naïve, innocent Maou.

But now, there was only clear, pure anger and hopelessness shining in those black orbs that gazed into his eyes.

"Wolfram would be trapped," Günter began as he closed the humongous door of the Maou's bedroom. The two of them had had a silent walk to this room once they were out of Wolfram's, but he could feel the Maou's impatience nagging him. "…between life and death. He isn't dead—not yet—but he certainly isn't alive anymore. The curse decreased his maryoku, seeping it and weakened him, but left a small protion of it enough so that he wouldn't die, that his soul would still remain in his body until his real death comes. But he isn't breathing either, as you saw. He's simply trapped between life and death."

"You mean…he wouldn't wake up? Forever?" Yuuri's voice trembled in utter horror. "Not…like the last time he…" he trailed off, finding his voice gone.

Günter nodded, expression grim. "Not even Shinou-heika knows how to break the curse."

"I…" Yuuri choked out—his throat felt like it had just swallowed a handful of dry, hot sand. "I… caused…the curse?"

Putting a hand on the Maou's shoulder to reassure the King, Günter shook his head. "No, Heika." He started slowly. "You're not the one who caused the curse. But you are… the one who triggered it."

Yuuri stiffened, his body went rigid at that. He gazed blankly ahead, mouth moving, but none came out.

"The curse would work if and only if Wolfram fell in love with a Maou. And it happened," the lilac eyes softened in sadness. "He fell for you, Heika." Regardless of you deny it or not, the truth is that. Wolfram's in love with you.

"I don't…understand…" the soukoku stuttered, fear evident in his physiognomy. No way. There was just no way he had caused his fiancé—his beautiful, exceptionally beautiful, golden-haired, kind-hearted fiancé—to be trapped in such state.

Günter stared at the young Maou sadly. "Just know that none of this is your fault, Heika. You can't control Wolfram's feelings." He stopped slowly before opening the door of the Royal Chamber, intending to leave. "Celi-sama is very upset, I'm sure she didn't mean to leash out on you like earlier. Now, please calm yourself. I will be back with Gisela once this situation is handled."

The silver-haired mazoku slipped out of the room, leaving Yuuri on his own.

Slowly, Yuuri sat down on the bed. His hand touched the soft surface of the bedcover, lingering there for a few moments before he brought up his hands to his face.

"…cold…"he muttered subconsciously, and wrapped his arms around himself. Falling back to the huge bed, he stared blankly at the bed canopy, and wondered why the room seemed to be three times bigger.

Wolfram. An image of his fiancé came to his mind. He closed his eyes, and rested his hand on his chest. He could feel the steady heartbeat inside of it, and wondered if he couldn't feel the same staccato melody if he were to put his hand on Wolfram's chest now.

_Everything is my fault…from the very beginning._

Wasn't he supposed to be crying? Or at least angry, like Gwendal? But no… even though he wanted to cry so badly, his eyes refused to cooperate, to produce the tears he wanted to weep. Right now…he felt nothing. Absolutely nothing.

All he knew was that he wanted Wolfram to be on his side, even though he didn't quite understand why.

_Empty…_

-----o0oYuuRamo0o-----

_Hey… why are you smiling?_

"…smiling? Am I…?"

_Yes, you are._ A laugh reverberated._ You're so funny!_

"…ah…maybe it's because I'm happy. People smile when they're happy…"

_Really? Then why is your heart crying?_

"…It's kind of hurt to smile, actually…"

_Hurt? That doesn't sound pleasant at all…what cause it?_

"A lot of things, I guess…"

More childish laughter. _Why keep such unpleasant feeling? Why don't you just forget it? Don't your heart want to smile, too? Don't you want to taste happiness?_

"I…I don't think I deserve it…happiness.."

_What are you talking about, silly? Of course you do! Everybody does!_

"I do…? Even though…even though I've hurt so many people? With my pride…my prejudice…even though I've hurt my family so much? Even though I've hurt the one I love over and over again?"

_Yeah! Say, why don't you come here with us and be happy? You can be happy forever, just like us! All you have to do is to forget, forget about painful things and what causes them!_

"But…I…" hesitant. "I don't want to forget…"

_Aww…come on, your heart has been crying for too long. You've been…hurt—is that the word? Anyway, don't you want to taste happiness? Your happiness! Come, come and forget everything! Let's be happy!_

_Do you want to remember and keep hurting?_ The voice was oddly familiar, but he couldn't recall whose it was. _Or do you want to forget and taste happiness?_

_Choose your fate, Wolfram von Bielefeld._

-----o0oYuuRamo0o-----

It had been a while since he had last touched the music instrument.

Gwendal fingered the piano's keys almost absent-mindedly. His eyes glazed a little, as he went back to the distant memory of years ago, when he'd been merely a young man, and his baby brother was only a little kid. He remembered how a certain young, blind female would drag him out of his office down to the ballroom, where he would find his two brothers beaming up on him. He remembered how the three of them would then play the piano together—him covering most mistakes his youngest brother did—and the young female would dance all by herself in the middle of the ballroom gracefully, showing off her dancing skill.

He tentatively pressed one finger on a key. How long had it been since he last played the instrument?

Slowly, he sat down and put his fingers on the piano, eyes never leaving the black and white keys. If he concentrated enough, he could still see other small fingers dancing on the keys—not expertly, but surely well enough.

He closed his eyes, and let his fingers danced.

Soft melody filled the room—despite his rarely playing the piano anymore, it seemed that he hadn't really lost his skill, after all—as images of yesterday's events played on his mind once again.

Two hours after they found Wolfram asleep and managed to calm themselves down—much thanks to Günter, Anissina and Gisela—the Daikenja had come to the castle with Ulrike trailing hesitantly behind him. They once again reminded the grieving family that Wolfram was not dead, yet, and they had to act quickly, for if they let his body just like that, he'd die in no time for sure. So they had moved him into a special chamber in Shinou's Shrine Ulrike had set up.

Gwendal had laid his brother's body on a medium-sized pedestal in the chamber himself, with the help of Conrad and Murata. Yuuri had offered to help, but he only shot the Maou a silencing look before proceeding, paying no heed to what the Maou said. Once the blond prince was laid there, Ulrike had chanted some sort of mantra, and then some kind of blue glow enveloped the prince's body, up until his neck. All the while, the Maou was standing a little off from where everybody was, for the first time since he came to Shin Makoku, he looked distant and…alone.

Sensing his fingers danced faster upon the tightening on his chest, Gwendal took a deep breath and allowed himself to calm. He had not lost his younger brother completely yet. They still had time—to find a way to wake him up and break the curse. His fingers slowed down, and the melody went back to its original rhythm.

Only then Gwendal realized that he'd been playing Wolfram's favorite song.

His movement stopped almost instantly—the song left unfinished. He felt his breath caught in his throat, almost choking him. Dimly, he felt the corner of his eyes started to burn as his chest tightened more. He looked down to his hands—now spread limply on the keys, unmoving—and was oddly reminded of the sleeping figure of his brother.

It was weird. When they were small, he loved to see Wolfram slept. The peaceful, cute expression would replace the usual stubborn and bratty face he saw all day. The slight smile on his sleeping face would replace the frown he put on when he found Gwendal busy in his study, doing paperwork and such.

Now he realized that he rarely had attention for his younger brother back then.

And how did Wolfram grow up? By looking up on him—many people had said so. But only a handful of people—like Anissina—actually noticed and dared to tell Gwendal blatantly that Wolfram didn't just look up on him—Wolfram wanted him to acknowledge him as a capable soldier. Someone worthy and capable of doing difficult stuff that would help him running the Kingdom, protecting the Kingdom.

It wasn't that Gwendal never acknowledged Wolfram's ability. Heck, Gwendal knew how strong his brother could be—especially with his stubborn nature. He knew how skillful of a swordsman Wolfram was—trained by Conrad himself. The thing was…he only didn't want Wolfram to see how cruel the world outside could be. If anything, he'd wanted to protect his brother, not only physically, but mentally as well.

He'd wanted to protect Wolfram's innocence by not letting him go to the war years ago.

His mother and Conrad agreed almost instantly, and let him arranged Julia to teach him healing magic and other less dangerous stuff. He thought that time that Julia had done very well—it was just Wolfram that had been too stubborn for his own good. He'd assumed that the blond's anger for not being allowed to go to the battlefield was because of his pride, that being stuck in he castle when he was capable to fight like everyone else his age was a blow to his dignity.

He was wrong. It wasn't that at all. He could see it clearly now.

The invisible, yet dangerous monster called insecurities and loneliness was able to sneak into the castle, and tainted his baby brother right before his eyes with its poison. Murata was right—they had never quite protect him. If anything, they only made him felt left behind and grew distant before they realized it.

Wolfram changed since Yuuri came, though, Gwendal knew that. He knew that Wolfram's falling in love with the Maou was inevitable, seeing how much influence Yuuri gave to the blond prince. How many changes Yuuri had brought with him that brightened Wolfram's world little by little, even though at the same time, the dense Maou hurt Wolfram a lot, too. Gwendal would have been happy to see his brother changed for the better—and he had been…

If it weren't for the curse that made him regret that Wolfram fell in love with Yuuri.

It was partly his fault for never realizing his brother's emptiness in his life, though, he did realize that. And he regretted it. If only he could be a much better older brother that had more attention to his brother, maybe Wolfram wouldn't fall for Yuuri.

Partly his own fault.

A soft, high note reverberated throughout the room, and suddenly the song continued from where he left off. Gwendal blinked and turned to his right, to see his younger brother sat next to him, fingers dancing gracefully and yet awkwardly as he played the song, continuing from where Gwendal had stopped earlier. There was such an intense look of regret and desperation on his brown eyes, and suddenly, Gwendal knew why the other man had come here. Somewhat he knew, that Conrad had been thinking the same thing he had been thinking.

Gwendal's fingers slowly moved again, pressing the keys to form the note he remembered by heart, playing his own part, as did Conrad, purposefully leaving the part Wolfram usually played uncovered.

It left a hole to the song, just like Wolfram had left a hole in their hearts.

-----o0oYuuRamo0o-----

"It would be best if you leave for Earth for several days, Heika."

Yuuri looked up towards his godfather incredulously, eyes leaving the thick book about curses he'd bee pouring on since morning. "I don't want to, Conrad. I want to look for any way we could wake Wolfram…"

Conrad's smile vanished, and he looked at Yuuri tiredly. "You won't find anything in there, Yuuri. We've already been through all of the books, and found nothing. Absolutely nothing."

"I will not give up." Yuuri mumbled, exhaustion sneaked up into his voice. "Not when I might have the chance to make everything right again."

"It's not your fault—"

"It's partly mine." Yuuri muttered, lips thinned. "And I hurt him the most."

Conrad sighed. "You should know better than to listen to Hahaue's words when she's furious."

"Celi-sama was furious because she had all the reasons to, Conrad." Yuuri offered a weak smile—but he didn't get one in return. "I will make everything right again. I have to if I want everybody to forgive me."

Conrad watched his godson for a moment, before shaking his head.

"You have to go, Heika," he said again, leaning closer to Yuuri to show that this was serious. "You have no idea how much tension we all hold right now.. just to.." he stopped himself there, finding a pair of onyx eyes stared up at him in shock.

"You guys really want me to go, don't you?" Yuuri whispered, almost in disbelief. "All of you.. you guys don't think you can handle it when I'm here? You think I'd only aggravate the situation?"

A streak of guilt found its way to Conrad's heart. "Heika, it's not that. Please understand." He paused, hesitant. "We needed time to calm down. This is…our one and only request."

Yuuri was silent for a moment, before finally nodded weakly and rose to his feet. "I'll tell Murata."

Watching the Maou dejectedly walked out of the library pained Conrad. But really, this was what he had to do. Because if Yuuri remained, he had no idea if he could protect the Maou—from his own hands. Or his brother's.

-----o0oYuuRamo0o-----

In the darkness of night, a dark-haired figure remained next to a blond figure sleeping on a pedestal.

"Everything is going according my plan, I assume?" a melodious, yet pompous voice broke the silence, making the dark-haired figure turn.

"Shinou," he stated, allowing a small smile played on his lips.

"My Daikenja, you need not to worry," a strong hand sneaked around his waist, and Murata found himself being pulled into a warm embrace. He sighed, wondering why a ghost could do this kind of stuff, because really, a ghost was supposed to be transparent—translucent.

"I'm not worried," he admitted honestly—it was a vain effort if he tried to put up his mask before the Original King, anyway. "But you can't say that all the tears and sadness—and tension everybody had showed these two days doesn't affect me at all."

"Ah," the tone was amused. "I thought you could handle more than that. I'm sorry."

"How easy of you to say so,"

"Should I prove my sincere apology to you, then?" a breath ghosted on his neck, making Murata shudder.

"You wish." He smirked back, if only to regain the little dignity he had left. "I have to accompany Yuuri to go back to Earth in…fifteen minutes."

Shinoue made a disappointed 'tsk'. "I'm starting to get jealous."

"I think this is a good chance for him to think about everything. I hope he'd have realize his feelings when we came back later. Only Yuuri could open the door, am I right?" Murata ignored the seducing remark. "And he could only open it when he was fully aware of his feeling towards von Bielefeld-kyo."

Shinou was silent for a moment, before smiling sincerely this time. "Good luck."

"Thank you," Murata said simply. "Now, if you'll excuse me, my King, I would go to the Blood Pledge Castle. Let us hope this will be the time when Yuuri finally get rid of his dense nature."

Watching the Daikenja strode out from the room, Shinou let out a small laugh. He turned towards the sleeping blond on the pedestal, affectionately reaching out to stroke the golden strands do similar to his own. Wolfram was his descendant, after all.

"You're lucky," he told the blond lightly. "You have so many people love you. Make sure you don't disappoint me by giving up further, boy."

-----o0oYuuRamo0o-----

A/N: It was only an interlude, so I don't make it as long as I usually does… I'm sorry…

I hope I won't be taking too long with the next chapter… I'm really sorry that it took almost a year since I last updated.. the reason of that you can find in my profile, though. I know it's no excuse, but I hope you'd forgive me for this. Thank you, foxfire flamequeen for scolding me in being late. I would try my best so this wouldn't happen again.

Please review? I would be happy to know whether you like this chapter or not, or whether you're angry at me or not. Constructive Criticisms are welcomed… my English really deteriorated. Does my writing-style changed at all?

Does anyone know where I can read the translation version of KKM novels? I'm dying of curiosity since the third season literally fail all my hopes. –sighs-

Thank you for reading and please leave a review~~

Love,

-isumi and Ilde-


	14. Start

Title: Pride and Prejudice

Author: isumi'kivic'

Beta: Mabs-fantasy! *hugs* I missed you~~~!!!

Pairings: YuuriWolfram centric~~

Warning and Disclaimer: See previous chapter, please.

A/N: Ne, minna-san, everyone who had read and reviewed the last chapter, thank you very much! I am very, very glad that there are still people who read this fic. I'm sorry if I didn't meet your expectation—it's been a loooooong while since I wrote any YuuRam. I'm scared I'm screwing everything here up. TT-TT

But then again, all of your wonderful reviews gave me spirit~ Thank you very much! This chapter is dedicated to all of you who had read and reviewed the last chapter.

Of course, to Az-sama for beta-ing this, I love you! *showers Az-sama with hugs and kisses* Thank you for sparing your time dong the job for me. I'll try my best too, from this time on!

And for Rizu-chan, the soulmate I've just found~ thank you for sharing, dearest! I hope we'll have much more time to spend together!!

Here you go, chapter 14~~

-----o0oYuuRamo0o-----

"Koko ni iru yo… itsu date yonderu kara…"—Karma, Bump of Chicken

For you, because I miss you~

-----o0oYuuRamo0o-----

Pride and Prejudice

Chapter 14: Drifting Thoughts

Truth be told, Shibuya Miko was quite surprised to see her youngest son come home without the usual cheerful and goofy smile of his.

Her maternal instinct quickly told her that, yes, something was terribly wrong, something that was bad enough to cause her youngest son to loose his cheerful aura that had always brightened his surroundings. She wanted to ask, she really did, but Yuuri barely gave her a glance as he said "Ofukuro, I'm home," before heading to the back porch and fall into a deep thought, totally oblivious to his surroundings.

She asked Murata about it, of course, but the bespectacled boy only smiled widely and answered cheerfully, "It's the usual love quarrel, Mama-san, no need to worry.." before excusing himself to go back to his own home.

By now, it had been approximately one and a half hours since Yuuri had sat himself on the porch—not having moved even an inch as he lost himself in his own world. And Miko was seriously getting concerned.

"Yuu-chan has been sitting there since he returned," she whispered to Shouri when her eldest finally came down from his room after playing another love-simulation game.

Shouri raised his eyebrows—genuinely curious. "He hasn't moved?"

"Not even an inch," Miko nodded. "Ne, Shou-chan, go talk to your brother and ask what's wrong. Ken-chan told Mama it was just another love quarrel but I think it's a bit more than that,"

Shouri flinched—the image of him talking seriously to Yuuri about love was too odd to entertain. "Err.. well, I don't… I'm not sure…"

"Shou-chan!" Miko scolded, furrowing her eyebrows somewhat comically. "You are Yuu-chan's older brother! No matter how old Yuu-chan is, you still have the responsibility to guide him! Imagine how you would feel if Yuu-chan fell ill from heartbreak? Oh!" she buried her face in her palms, letting out a wail. "Or what if he did something terrible because no one was there to guide him—oh, it's terrible!"

Shouri's left eye twitched and the protective feeling in him flared up. Oh no, he would not let Yuuri go that far! He was Yuuri's older brother alright and Yuuri would always be his cute baby brother—nothing could change that fact—and he had the right to know what was in his brother's life—including problems of his love life!

"Alright," his voice gaining a confident tone, he nodded to his mother. "Leave it to me."

Miko watched her eldest stride straight to the back porch—a big smile on her face. "Good luck Shou-chan!" she waved cheerfully. "I will be making curry while praying for your success! Ah, I hope Uma-chan wouldn't be coming home late tonight…"

-----o0oYuuRamo0o-----

Cecilie stared blankly at her reflection on the surface of her tea.

It had been days since her youngest had fallen into his deep slumber and she hadn't come out of her room since. Not even when she had stood on her room's balcony and heard the familiar song softly being played in the piano in the ballroom. She spent her days lying on her bed, often crying herself to sleep, or standing on her balcony, staring straight into the castle garden, where the colorful flowers still bloomed beautifully—flowers named after her own family, flowers named after her adorable babies…

The maids continued to come and prepare her bath and brought her meals—even though she only ate a little. Gwendal dropped by yesterday to see how she was doing, and uncharacteristically embraced her before leaving to his office—his actions causing her to break down into inconsolable tears once more. Conrad visited her daily, trying to cheer her up with assurance that there were still things they could do for Wolfram—but it was hard to believe him when the half-mazoku didn't appear convinced of that himself.

Cecilie knew it was their way of sharing the pain and guilt the three of them felt. It was their way of dealing with the things going on right now. More than that, it was a proof that they were still a family after all—despite the growing distances caused by their individual responsibilities and country politics.

Since it was not the time for the maids bring her dinner, she was quite surprised at the knocking on her door, firm knocks, three times. She forced herself to rise to her feet, and in a soft voice asked, "Who's there?"

Silence, and then a reply, "It's Greta, Celi-sama,"

Sure enough, when the door swung open, the figure of a certain little princess came into view. Even in a glance, Cecilie could see the pain and sadness etched in Greta's eyes—so she couldn't help but take quick strides to draw the princess into her arms, embracing her tightly.

She felt Greta hug her back.

"Yuuri went back to earth last night," Greta told her when Cecilie let her go. "He asked Greta to tell Celi-sama that he was sorry, and that he'll try anything to make everything right again." Greta paused, hanging her head. "Anissina told Greta what exactly had happen to Wolfram…and…and…"

Seeing the brown-haired girl shaking in her effort not to cry, Cecilie felt her maternal instincts kick in. She patted Greta's head affectionately, asking her to come in and "Join me and drink some tea, Hime-sama?"

Greta agreed, of course.

"Yuuri said he knew everything was partly his fault," Greta said once they were settled with two cups of tea and a plate of cookies sent to Cecilie by one of her lovers in another nation. "He also said that he understands if Celi-sama doesn't want to forgive him, but he asked Celi-sama to at least let him try to make everything right again. He has been thinking about a lot of things lately, Celi-sama."

Cecilie examined the texture of the cookie she held between her slender forefinger and thumb, lost in thought. Truth be told, she actually regretted what she had done to their young Maou—even though she admits that she is still angry, even now. It wasn't exactly all Yuuri's fault—the clueless Maou didn't even have the slightest clue about what or how the curse worked. Yes, it was true that Yuuri had hurt her baby boy countless of times, but then again, hadn't she done the same unconsciously by leaving her task as a mother?

So why did she blame Yuuri for everything?

"Yuuri has been thinking about Wolfram, too, Greta can tell."

Cecilie looked up curiously at the little princess sitting across the table. The princess was smiling softly—a streak of hope lit up her warm eyes.

"The way Yuuri said Wolfram's name has been different…well, Yuuri has always had this fond tone whenever he talked about Wolfram, different from how he talked about anyone else, but lately, even his eyes soften. Greta thinks Yuuri's starting to understand the love he felt for everybody else and the love he felt for Wolfram is different."

Cecilie was quite astonished. Since when had Greta become… so mature? She was only a little girl, but her words didn't resemble her age.

Greta grinned a bit sheepishly—the trait of a naïve child resurfacing. "Greta doesn't really know how Greta could be so sure, but Greta thinks it's true. Yuuri's been thinking a lot, especially about Wolfram, since he found out about the curse." The little princess stared down at her own cup of tea. "Greta wants them to understand each other better, though. But Wolfram…"

Cecilie's lips thinned.

"Greta," she began, not sure how to tell the younger female about her reason of lashing out to Yuuri. "I'm… I'm not sure how to explain this to you… but I deeply regret what I did to Yuuri-Heika. I… forgot my manners and embarrassed myself. But I won't lie—I am still angry at him, for several reasons—and that's probably why I lashed out to him. When Wolfram…" her voice cracked. "When Wolfram… I… there was a need… I just needed to blame someone…"

Greta rose to her feet and circled the table, putting her hands on Cecilie's back and patted her soothingly. "Greta knows, Celi-sama," she murmured, smiling in understanding. "Greta understands. When Anissina told Greta what had happened, Greta was angry, too, but Greta didn't know whom to get angry at, so Greta just cried until Yuuri came."

"Wolfram wouldn't be happy if he knows what I did to Heika," Cecilie whispered, shaking her head. "But I couldn't help it. It would… be a relief if I could convince myself that it's all Heika's fault and that I have the right to be furious, but I can't! I know it's partly my fault—and I feel so ashamed for having lashed out to Heika…"

"Yuuri accepts the blame, Celi-sama," Greta said, a confident tone started to creep into her voice. "And he will make everything right again. He has always fixed what he did wrong all this time, hasn't he?"

And that was a logic Cecilie couldn't disagree with.

-----o0oYuuRamo0o-----

"Ne, Yuu-chan," Shouri started once he sat himself down next to his younger brother. "Coming home in such a foul mood isn't good, you know. Tell me what's wrong."

Yuuri flashed his brother an irritated glance. Really, of all the time, did Shouri have to pick this time to have another protective-older-brother-interrogation?

"Don't call me Yuu-chan," he muttered darkly. "And nothing's wrong."

"Yuu-chan, you know you're a bad actor. Did something bad happen in Shin Makoku?"

Yuuri kept silent—which Shouri took as a confirmation that, indeed, there was something really wrong.

"Is this about your engagement? Did that fiancé of yours force you to get married?"

Shouri waited for another fit of "It was an accident—the engagement was! Stop teasing me about it! It was all an accident!", but to his shock, there was no response coming from the younger Shibuya.

"Yuu-chan?"

From the front door, there was a shout of "I'm home!" that belonged to their father, and a squeal of "Welcome back, Uma-chan!" from their mother—telling Shouri that his father was home. Yuuri spared a glance inside, but then was back again staring off into the distance.

"It's not about that." He finally answered.

"Then what? That friend of yours told mother that this was another lovers quarrel you had—wait!" Shouri gasped comically. "It can't be…Wolfram isn't pregnant with your child, is he?"

Yuuri's head snapped up, eyes wide in disbelief. "Shouri!" he shrieked. "Wolfram is a boy, for Shinou's sake! He can't get pregnant!"

Shouri shrugged. "Why not? A Mazoku is different from a mere human—maybe they have a way—some kind of magic or something—to make their males pregnant. And your fiancé is a bit too feminine and girly for a boy, too, I wouldn't be surprised if he's actually a girl…"

"Wolfram is not a girl, and he is nowhere near feminine or girly!"

"Mother once told me he wore a pink nightgown to bed."

"That doesn't make him girly, Shouri! Not when he can toast you up any time he wants or put his sword just right before your neck in a second!"

Shouri raised an eyebrow—weird, his brother had never defended his so-called fiancé that intensely before. "Yuu-chan…?"

"Aaah!! Did Mama hear it right, Yuu-chan? Wolf-chan is pregnant with your child? How marvelous! Now we could plan a wedding right away!"

Both Yuuri and Shouri had to back away when their immensely excited mother came bouncing into the back porch, followed by a stunned Shouma behind her. Miko's eyes were twinkling in happiness.

Yuuri swallowed nervously. "Ofukuro," he began, voice gaining an edge. He wanted to be left alone, for God's sake! "Wolfram is not pregnant with my child."

Miko's face fell. "Eh? Then he's pregnant with another person's child? What a pity… see, Yuu-chan? You will lose such a beauty to another person if you don't act quickly... aah… now you've lost Wolf-chan…"

An unexpected pain squeezed his heart at the mention of loss—Yuuri unconsciously gritted his teeth. He hung his head and pressed his lips together—the feeling of being useless and the emptiness came back and filled his heart.

"Yuu-chan?" Shouma reached out to touch his youngest son's shoulder. "Are you okay? What's wrong?"

Yuuri stared blankly at the wooden floor he sat on. Opening his mouth, he choked out in a raw voice, "I lost him." He shook his head, furrowing his eyebrows. "I lost him. I lost him to that stupid curse…and it's all my fault. And now everyone's mad at me…even Conrad. I want… I want to make everything right again…but I have no idea how… and I just…" he buried his face in his palms. "I want to be forgiven…"

Silence ruled over the four of them for several moments, until the rustle of Miko's dress broke it as she moved forward to take Yuuri's head into her embrace. "Oh, Yuu-chan…" she cooed. "Yuu-chan, it's alright. You can cry, go on, it'll make everything better. Oh, Yuu-chan…"

"I can't." Yuuri choked out, voice thick with desperation. "I can't. I can't feel anything… everything's just… empty…"

-----o0oYuuRamo0o-----

Beautiful flowers and fresh green grass spread before him—a carpet made by nature, unexceptionally beautiful. The clear blue sky—with the sun shyly hiding half of itself behind the white clouds. Childish laughter echoed, and with the sound of bare feet pounding on the grass, they made an oratorio of their own, added with the sound of water running in the river nearby. The smell of spring tickled his nose, inviting him to step into the beautiful meadow.

Several small children stopped in their tracks when he approached the meadow—looking curiously at him with their big smiles etched on their face.

"You have made your choice?" A little girl about Greta's age neared him, eyes twinkling in enthusiasm. It was a statement, though, not a question.

He hesitated a bit, looking around to once again take in what was before him. The happy faces, the cheerful laughter, the bright smiles, the twinkling eyes. Luring him in, inviting him to join.

He closed his eyes.

"Yes."

The girl smiled, nodding as she tugged at his left hand—and he stepped into the meadow.

Opening his eyes—the emerald orbs were now slightly dull.

The girl looked up at him and smiled brightly.

"Welcome to your happiness."

-----o0oYuuRamo0o-----

"Wolfram…"

Yuuri's eyes slowly opened—the darkness of his room welcoming him. He stared blankly at nothingness for several seconds—or was it minutes? Hours?—before finally turning slightly towards his bedside drawer. The alarm clock said it was two in the morning.

A rustle was heard as Yuuri pulled himself to a sitting position.

He was dreaming of Wolfram.

He could recall the blond looking at him with a bright smile, blinking innocently—his emerald eyes twinkled oh-so beautifully—as he waved, beckoning Yuuri to come—but that was all Yuuri could remember. He couldn't remember where it was, or what had happened in his dream.

He inhaled as the familiar empty feeling enclosed him again.

The memory of his golden-haired fiancé made his chest tightened. It was the only thing he could feel—pain. Other than that—nothing.

Ha hated feeling like this. Moreover, he hated that Wolfram was not there by his side to reassure him that everything was alright.

Damn. He was so selfish. Yuuri mentally scolded himself for wishing Wolfram to be there. He had hurt Wolfram all too often—unconsciously or not, he was still at fault. He wasn't supposed to be hoping for Wolfram to be by his side, he was supposed to be by Wolfram's side at this time!

He swallowed. All the time, he told Wolfram how selfish the prince was—not even thinking about his own selfishness.

He slowly left his bed, making his way out of his room and down to the kitchen. Maybe he would feel better if he drank a glass of warm milk. And then he could start thinking—of ways to wake Wolfram up, of ways to apologize to everybody—to Wolfram—, of ways to make everything right again, of his engagement, of his own feelings to Wolfram.

"Yuu-chan? You're still awake?" a soft voice belonged to his mother halted his movement of pouring the milk into a pan. He looked up to see Miko in front of the kitchen door, looking sleepy.

"Ofukuro," he gave her a smile. "Yeah… I woke up, so I think I'll have a glass of warm milk. Why are you up?"

"It's Mama, Yuu-chan and I heard you coming down the stairs," Miko replied, the cheerful tone made its way to her voice despite the sleepiness. She walked over to Yuuri and took away the pan and the milk from her son's hands, shooing him away to the table. "Leave this to Mama, ne, Yuu-chan?"

A small smile crept up on Yuuri's face as he did what her mother said.

Miko hummed softly as she poured the milk into the pan and put it on the stove, warming it up a little bit. She put a bit of chocolate in it—she'd always liked it that way, and it really worked in getting a person to sleep better. Getting two big mugs, she poured the milk carefully into it and walked back to the table.

Finding Yuuri once again deep in thought, she smiled softly, placing one mug before her son. "Here you go, Yuu-chan."

"Thank you, Ofukuro," he mumbled—still half thinking. Miko took a seat across her youngest son, watching Yuuri's thinking face for several moments, before she giggled.

Yuuri came back to reality at that. "What's so funny?"

"Nothing," Miko said cheerfully. "Mama was just thinking how fast you've grown up, Yuu-chan. Look at you just now. You have the face of a real King."

Yuuri blinked, and immediately blushed when his mother's statement sunk in. "I…guess.." he said slowly. "But… I still am as clueless and helpless as ever…"

Miko frowned. "Now, who told you that?"

"No one," Yuuri said absent-mindedly. "But really… I've only been a burden for everybody. I need help from Gwendal and Günter to even understand the documents I need to sign, I have Conrad protecting me at all time and at all cost, I have the maids helping me tidying up my room, I have Greta helping me studying the mazoku language…and I have Wolfram by my side all the time. And what do I give them in return? I screwed everything up." He sighed, curling his fingers around the warm mug. "I'm no good as a King. I'm just an ordinary boy. I can't even be sure of my own feeling…"

Miko studied her son's face for a moment, before a smile brightened up her features.

"Ne, Yuu-chan, do you remember the movie Pride and Prejudice we watched together?"

Yuuri raised his eyebrow. "The movie you forced me to watch with you months ago? Yeah, I do."

Miko pouted. "How mean, Yuu-chan!" she sighed. "Saa, then Mama will guess that you never mulled over the movie's theme, did you?"

Yuuri blinked. "Err... is it that important?"

Miko wiggled his finger before Yuuri's face. "You're not thinking about the essential, Yuu-chan. Theme is essential." She paused, and continued, "The essential is unseen by eyes, only seen by hearts."

Yuuri blinked again, clearly confused.

Miko laughed. "Wolf-chan has found what's essential, Yuu-chan, Mama's sure about it. How about you?"

"Me?"

"Yes, you. When you understand yourself, you might be able to understand what's been there between you and Wolf-chan all this time." She smiled. "Don't you ever wonder, Yuu-chan, why Mama has never opposed the idea of you being engaged to Wolf-chan even thought he's a boy? Mama's heart saw what's essential when the first time Mama saw you both together."

"I don't… understand…" Yuuri said unsurely. "I… both he and I are boys… I just… it's wrong, isn't it?"

"That's your prejudice talking," Miko smiled. "If you really feel it's wrong for both of you to be engaged, why didn't you cancel the engagement back then, Yuu-chan?"

"You don't understand, Ofukuro," Yuuri muttered. "Wolfram's being so…serious about it, and I… I just can't hurt him…"

Miko cocked her head innocently. "But you do know you're hurting him more by not canceling it."

Yuuri was taken aback. "…I…"

"That's your pride talking, Yuu-chan," Miko grinned victoriously. "Really, the real problem is just your pride, your prejudice, Wolf-chan's pride, and his prejudice. You both have the exact same problem."

Silence. Yuuri stared at the swirling, warm liquid in his mug, pondering over what his mother had just said. Was that it? Their problem? Was that it? His problem? The very thing that made him unable to see the essential—as his mother put it? And what was essential, actually? What was between him and Wolfram all this time?

"Don't try to answer that now, Yuu-chan. It's not something you can find the answer to in a minute of thinking," Miko rose to her feet, smiling brightly. "Just try to think it over without your pride and prejudice clouding your judgment. You'll be able to see then. You have time, don't you?"

"Ofukuro…"

"It's Mama, Yuu-chan," she reminded him, grinning. "Say, Yuu-chan, what do you really want right now?"

Yuuri blinked, staring at his mother in confusion. "What I… want?"

"Yes. What you really want. Think about it, ne?"

With that, Miko hummed all the way to the sink, rinsing her own mug of chocolate milk, and left the kitchen after biding her youngest son good night.

Yuuri stayed there, staring blankly into the content of his mug.

What he wanted…

He wanted everything to be right again. He wanted to be forgiven. He wanted to make amends for everything he'd done wrong. He wanted to start all over, and do it right this time. He wanted to be reassured that he could do what he was supposed to do, whether he did something right or not. And above everything… he wanted…

"I want him…" he breathed as he hung his head. For the first time, anguish was clear on his face. "I want Wolfram."

-----o0oYuuRamo0o-----

Greta held the familiar yellow flower in her hand tightly. This wasn't the first time she entered the sacred Shinou's Shrine, but somehow, the building always gave her a sense of anxiety and nervousness whenever she was there, despite the kind and friendly shrine maidens who always accompanied her when she came here by herself.

It had been exactly two weeks since Wolfram had fallen asleep, she thought as she followed one of the Shrine maidens to the room where Wolfram's body was kept, and one week since Yuuri had gone back to Earth.

Greta had taken a habit of visiting Wolfram every morning—bringing one Beautiful Wolfram at every visit she made. It was the best she could do, because wherever Wolfram's spirit was now, she didn't want him to be lonely. Anissina clearly said that Wolfram wasn't dead, and they all would try their hardest to find any way to wake him up.

The Shrine maiden opened the humongous door leading to where Wolfram was, and without hesitation, Greta walked in by herself. She was relieved that the maiden didn't follow her like the first time she had come to visit Wolfram. It made her feel like she was being watched.

"Wolfram," she called cheerfully as she neared the blond's body on the pedestal, wrapped in soft blue glow up until his neck. Putting the Beautiful Wolfram beside her so-called father, she continued, "Greta comes again. Can you hear Greta?"

Silence answered the little princess, but Greta loved to imagine that wherever Wolfram was now, he was listening to her.

"Yuuri hasn't come back from Earth, but Greta is sure he will in a couple of days. He promised to come back," reaching out to play with a golden curl, Greta absent-mindedly started her rambling. "Greta talked to Celi-sama yesterday. She's feeling much better and she came out for dinner, too. Dinner is still too quiet, but at least everybody showed up."

Taking in the sleeping face of the prince, Greta murmured, "Everybody misses you, Wolfram."

Shaking her head—she didn't want the atmosphere to turn sad, Wolfram wouldn't like it—Greta quickly continued, "Gwendal and Conrad are really busy, but they're okay, and Gisela said they'll make full recovery in three days. Oh, and it's only another week from your birthday, right? Do you think Celi-sama would be happy if Greta suggested to have a small party for you? Just for the castle! Greta already got you some presents, Wolfram, and Greta will give them to you when you wake up."

She kept talking for what seemed like hours—voice cracking sometimes when she couldn't hold her tears, but then she would smile again. Because Anissina had told her so, right? When men are useless, it was up to the women to be strong for them.

Greta smoothed the golden strands—mentally reminding herself to bring a comb tomorrow. She affectionately patted Wolfram's hair, and murmured, "Greta will be back tomorrow, Wolfram."

She had just turned around to leave when a melodious voice reverberated throughout the room, "Visiting him again? You are such a good girl, Hime-sama."

Greta whirled around, and saw a figure now quite familiar—a figure resembling the sleeping prince. "Shinou-Heika?"

Shinou stepped out from the shadow of the pillars, smiling at the girl. "Yes, this is me."

Out of reflex, Greta gave a curtsy. "Greta's sorry. Greta didn't notice Shinou-Heika earlier..." she spoke out nervously. "Did Greta disturb something?"

"Not at all, Hime-sama," the small, soft voice belonged to Ulrike, came from behind. Greta turned her head to see the priestess walking into the room gracefully, smiling at her. "You have actually been a great help." She gazed at the pedestal. "Shinou-Heika…"

"Yes," there was a satisfaction lacing the Original King's voice. "The door is starting to appear."

"Door?" Greta blinked, her eyes following where Shinou and Ulrike were gazing at. Her eyes then widened—she hadn't realized it before. High above the pedestal, above Wolfram's sleeping figure, some kind of golden substance had accumulated and made a vague shape resembling a door.

"It appeared faster than I expected," Shinou smiled. "I would put a guess that this is thanks to Hime-sama's visit everyday. His heart has started to open a way, I hope, to where his spirit is currently."

"Eh?" Greta blinked, apparently having no idea of what the other two were talking about.

Ulrike tugged at her hand and smiled brightly. "You have played a big part in saving Von Bielefeld-kyo, Hime-sama. Thank you."

"…Greta has?" Greta was totally confused. All she did was visiting Wolfram everyday, and the Great Original King and Ulrike said she had played a big part in saving her 'father'? What did that have to do with everything. What was the weird now-door-shaped-substance anyway?

Ulrike nodded. "Yes, you have. Now, excuse me for saying this, but please ask a maiden waiting outside to see you off. I have to help Shinou-Heika perform the next ritual."

"Umm.. alright, I understand…" Greta gave a tentative smile. She turned to Shinou and gave another curtsy, before hurrying out of the room. It was almost sunset anyway, and no one in the castle would be pleased if she came home late.

She glanced at the weird golden substance again, etching the shape into her mind. If whatever this is going to wake Wolfram up, she just had to tell everybody, right?

-----o0oend chaptero0o-----

A/N: Yosh, done! Ugh, my English is really, really degrading. I mean.. when I got this chapter back from Az-sama, I realized how many mistakes I've made! Even the simplest one! And I think I went back to my habit of repeating things—using the same word again and again.. ugh. I need to practice.

Thank you for reading! Leave a review or a constructive criticisms, please? I'd love that!


	15. Alice in Wonderland

Title: Pride and Prejudice

Author: isumi'kivic'

Beta: mabs_fantasy a.k.a Az-sama~

Pairings: YuuriWolfram, mentions of ShinouMurata and Royal Family fluff-ish.

Warnings: Shounen-ai, yaoi, BL, whatever you want to call it.

Disclaimer: Do see previous chapter….

A/N: Okay… so I'm late in updating. Again. I'm sorry… and I haven't replied to any of the reviewers since university life kinda shocked me and all—I'm really sorry. I'll try to be more organized…

Thank you as usual, Az-sama, for beta-ing. For sparing some time to deal with this chapter even though you're really busy. –hugs Az-sama- Therefore, this chapter is dedicated for you! XD

Please enjoy!

_**A Kyou Kara Maou Fanfiction**_

_Pride and Prejudice_

_Chapter 15_

It was exactly seven in the morning when Murata opened his front door to find a certain young Maou clad in training pants and a white sweatshirt, panting hard.

"Ohayou, Shibuya," Murata beamed at his friend, a wide grin on his face. "You're up very early considering we have no school today,"

Yuuri waved his hand in dismissal. "I need your help," he said seriously once he regained his breath. "And we need to get back to Shin Makoku as soon as possible."

Murata raised his eyebrows, hiding his amused smirk behind a mask of confusion. "Why the rush?"

A pair of determined eyes were quickly directed to him. "Because I want to make everything right. I mean, well, I'm not at all sure if I can make it right, but I've got to try. I just have to."

Murata hummed almost playfully—the urge to tease his friend further was really hard to resist. "And what kind of help exactly do you need me for?"

The young Maou seemed to be taken aback and Murata had to refrain from laughing his ass off at the sudden blush now spreading rapidly on his friend's face. He reminded himself that this might be something serious, though, so he clamped his mouth shut as to not let any hint of laughter out.

"Well—" the Maou stammered, shuffling his feet awkwardly. "There's… there's something I just have to ask you, but it's rather personal, but I think I just have to make sure…because well, it's not easy at all for me to…admit this…"

"Admit what?" Oh, this was going more interesting by the second.

"That's…" Yuuri muttered somewhat sheepishly, averting his eyes from Murata deliberately. Murata raised his eyebrows higher—this was definitely interesting. "Shibuya?"

"Umm.. about Shinou…"

Well, that was quite unexpected. "What about him?"

"You… him… I mean, you were the Daikenja, and he was the King—I mean… wait, I'm not making sense. Alright." The young Maou closed his eyes, took a deep breath, as if calming himself, before looking straight at the Daikenja. "Okay, let's see if I can get this out right. Murata. When you see Shinou, do you get this butterfly-fluttering feeling in your stomach?"

Murata blinked. "Err… no?"

"Does your heart pound—like you've just run a hundred miles non-stop?"

Murata shook his head at that. He had an idea what Yuuri was on about, but—

"Do you blush when you get too close to him?"

Murata nearly burst out with laughter at that, but thank God he could contain himself. "No, Shibuya." Well, maybe sometimes, but that was because Shinou's a pervert, he added silently.

Yuuri paused at that, looking puzzled. "That's weird." He mused almost inaudibly. "I thought that was what happened if you fall in love with someone."

Murata nearly choked in his own saliva at that comment. What the--? "Shibuya, whatever gave you the idea—" he trailed off, totally at loss for words.

"What idea?" Yuuri gave him an incredulous look, as if Murata had just said the most ridiculous thing in the world. "You love Shinou, don't you, Murata? Come on, don't make this too hard for me, I had a hard time sorting out my feelings and accepted them last night, all I need to do now is make sure that I didn't misunderstand the signs!"

Murata sighed—why in Shin Makoku did Yuuri find that the only way to be sure of his feelings is to interrogate him like this? "Well," he tried to counter, "If what you've been asking me were the signs of—love, as you said—then doesn't that mean I'm not in love with Shinou?"

Yuuri was silent for a moment, looking thoughtful.

"On the contrary," he answered slowly, "I felt the need to ask you those questions because—well, I don't feel them. Towards Wolfram, I mean. Well, those kind of things happened, but not every time I saw him. That's—I kinda got confused with that... but now—" the young Maou's face brightened considerably. "You know, I think I understand now, since you love Shinou and you don't feel those things either!"

"I'm not—" Murata attempted to protest, but Yuuri kept going. "Last night I thought, maybe I was wrong and all I felt for Wolfram was pity and all, because I don't always feel those things, but then I thought, I feel safe and free whenever I'm with Wolfram. I like having his company, I like being with him, and heck, I've even come to terms that he's my fiancé and I don't mind it at all. It's all about that, ne, Murata?"

Yuuri flashed him a winning smile, and yes, Murata knew the Maou had figured everything out.

"And your conclusion, Shibuya?"

A pair of onyx orbs met his own similar ones—looking straight and determined.

"I love Wolfram. I have—probably for a while, I was just too scared to admit it."

Murata hid his smile. If Conrad were here, he would've commented on how Yuuri had grown up.

"Congratulations on figuring that out yourself." Murata chuckled, watching his friend's expression turn into an annoyed scowl. "Well, that should do. Let's go back to Shin Makoku, shall we?" He stepped aside, allowing Yuuri to enter his house. "My parents are out of town, so we could use the bath. Let's just go straight to Shinou's Shrine since I believe everyone's already there anyway."

They went to the traditional ofuro Murata's family owned, and Murata was about to push Yuuri in first when Yuuri suddenly turned to him and gave him a wide grin.

"It's great that Shinou loves you, too, Murata."

A vein popped up on Murata's head and he pushed his friend with all his power, ignoring Yuuri's yelp and the water splashing everywhere, before jumping in himself.

Damn. He'd so get Von Bielefeld-kyo once he was awake. Who else would put such ideas—no matter how true they were—into Yuuri's head?

-----o0oYuuRamo0o-----

It was a transparent, golden door-shaped portal. Untouchable, made of a substance that was neither gas nor water. Almost ghostly, like the Original King who hovered right before it, watching in satisfaction as the vague door-shaped starting to become much clearer, as Ulrike stood below, dutifully chanting undecipherable words.

Conrad couldn't hold back the question. "What is—"

"He's coming," voice poised with pomposity cut his question and Conrad looked up to the Original King, who was now looking down, for once away from the vague-shape portal. Puzzled, Conrad exchanged a glance with his older brother next to him. He had an idea of who was coming, but—

The huge door opened all of a sudden with a heavy swing. A boyish voice, laced with determination, reverberated into the room. "Shinou!"

All heads turned to the source of the voice—finding two soukoku standing at the door, one of them wearing a resigned expression, while the other's face was adorned with determination and firmness.

Shinou found a smirk worked up its way to his mouth. "Welcome, Yuuri-heika."

Yuuri looked around the room, not the slightest surprised that Conrad, Gwendal, Günter and Gisela was there. What surprised him was the fact that his daughter was there, too-previously standing just next to the pedestal his fiancé was laid on, now she was running straight towards him, an expression of relief clear on her face.

"Yuuri!" The princess called out, and Yuuri quickly bent down to sweep her into his arms. "We've been waiting for you!"

The pure trust his adopted daughter had in him nearly brought him to tears. Greta still believed in him. She had faith that he'd make everything right again. She believed.

For now, that was enough. He'd try regain everyone's trust in time. For now, his sole purpose in coming back to Shin Makoku was there, lying on the sacred pedestal, oblivious to the world, drowned in the world of dreams.

Wolfram.

"Shinou." He said, voice gaining a firm edge. "I want you to explain."

Shinou raised a fine eyebrow as he floated down towards the young Maou and Daikenja. "Have you found what you've been searching for, Yuuri-Heika?"

A pair of onyx eyes found Shinou's sapphire ones, holding his gaze—and Yuuri nodded.

"Very well, then." He stepped aside, letting Yuuri get a full view of his fiancé's figure on the pedestal, with Ulrike standing before it. "You hold the key to his heart, Yuuri-Heika. Open the door and seek him. Only when you understand his heart can you bring him back."

Gwendal made a frustrated noise at the back of his throat. "Shinou-Heika, with all due respect, please enlighten us on what---" he took a deep breath, trying to calm himself. "—what is going on here."

Two bright blue orbs moved to gaze at the Cecilie's oldest. "You will understand soon, von Voltaire-kyo. Of course," Shinou nodded at the general direction of Murata. "I will have my Sage guide your way. The future is left in your hands, and shall be shaped by your choices. Wolfram has chosen his own future, and now, it is your turn to do so. Whether you can bring him back and change what Fate has written in her book or not depends on your choices."

Yuuri swallowed hard. As he'd guessed before, Shinou actually knew a way to wake Wolfram up. Well, for now, he had to let it slide, no matter how much it ticked him off. Wolfram was first and foremost on his mind, and he wasn't going to deny it anymore.

A streak of golden light suddenly crept out of the golden portal—all heads snapped up and Yuuri noted that the golden portal was slightly open. He felt Greta tugged his sleeve lightly, and the little princess whispered softly, "Yuuri, do you hear that?"

Yuuri blinked in confusion, gazing down at his daughter seriously. "Hear what?"

"Wolfram."

The soukoku blinked again, and looked back at the portal, concentrating, trying to catch just a slight sound of his fiancé's voice, but found none. He shifted his gaze to Conrad and Gwendal, and received two shaking heads, indicating that neither of the two heard what Greta heard.

"It's Wolfram's voice." Greta spoke up again. "It's… Greta thinks he's humming something…"

Returning his eyes to Greta, Yuuri breathed out a "Where…?"

Greta's hand raised upwards, pointing at the portal.

"There."

Shinou's smirk widened.

"Open the door, Shibuya," Murata's voice piped up, and Yuuri turned to him questioningly. "You're the one who holds the key."

Open the door. "How?" Yuuri voiced out, once again feeling a wave of helplessness washed through him. "I don't even know what the key is…"

"Well, it should be something that my descendant gave you," Shinou said, his tone almost nonchalant.

The soukoku gazed down, pondering. "Something that… Wolfram gave me…"

"Yuuri, Yuuri," Greta once again tugged at his hand, averting his attention again. Having her father's full attention, the little princess smiled brightly. "Greta thinks it's here."

Small hand touched his chest—warm.

Yuuri's breath hitched.

Greta was right.

Wolfram had given him his heart.

Memories once again flooded his mind—of Wolfram and the yellow flowers decorating the Royal Chamber, of Wolfram, a piano and Greta in a yellow, flowing summer dress, of Wolfram and his smile and little animal cookies, of Wolfram and the pink negligee and the light blush adorning his face, of Wolfram and little bickering and laughter so free—

He should've known.

"You gave me your heart…"

The light streaming through the portal shone brighter. Gwendal and Conrad reflexively raised their hands to shield their eyes. Greta looked up in amazement, hand gripping Yuuri's arm tighter.

Lifting his head, Yuuri gazed at the portal.

"And now I'll give you mine."

The sound of something clicking reverberated through the chamber, and the portal suddenly swung open, allowing blinding golden light to rush out and envelope the whole room in its path.

When the light faded, Ulrike stopped her chanting and looked up at the only remaining occupant of the chamber.

"Will everything be alright, Shinou-Heika?"

Shinou let out a sigh, and smiled softly.

"Let us hope so."

-----o0oYuuRamo0o-----

Greta blinked.

Spread before her was a huge field of grass adorned with bushes flowers and different kinds of trees everywhere. The sound of birds chirping filled her ears and the azure sky stretched far and wide, with cotton-like clouds drifting across it. The wind blew, caressing her brown curls gently, as if welcoming her to the beautiful, paradise-like place. The smell of spring was thick in the air, and suddenly Greta found herself waiting for the white rabbit to pop out randomly and rush to a small hole, just like in the story Anissina once read to her.

"Where…are we?"

Yuuri's voice brought her back to reality, and Greta spun around to find his father standing behind her, an awestruck expression on his face. Glancing around, Greta found that other than them, there was absolutely no one in that place.

Did that mean only the two of them got whisked into this strange world?

"Yuuri," she called, pulling her father back into the world. Tugging at Yuuri's hand, she voiced out in a worried tone, "Yuuri, where's everybody?"

"Eh?" the soukoku looked taken aback, before looking around. "Umm.. yeah. We're the only ones here, I guess…" He looked down, and catching the worry shine in her brown eyes, the Maou patted her head lovingly. "Let's look around and see where we are, okay? Don't worry, everything will be alright. I'm here, aren't I?"

Greta's face brightened considerably. "Yes!"

Taking his daughter's hand in his, Yuuri led Greta down the seemingly endless, narrow dirt path that stretched across the huge grass field. Small animals like chipmunks and little bunnies popped up from behind the trees they walked past, and the sound of the chirping birds accompanied their steps. Butterflies circled around them, back and forth to the flowers lining the dirt path. Greta chuckled in delight as a butterfly nudged her cheek, a happy pinkish shade spreading on her cheeks.

"It's a nice place, ne, Yuuri…" she commented happily. "It's good that Wolfram's in such a nice place. Greta was scared that he would be somewhere creepy like the dungeons in Anissina's stories, but Greta's glad he's not."

Yuuri smiled. "Yeah. But it'd be nice if we're together with him, don't you think?"

Greta nodded spiritedly. Tightening her clutch on Yuuri's hand, she prayed silently that Wolfram would be safe wherever he was.

"Ah, the path's diverged…" Yuuri murmured as he saw the dirt path broke into two—one to the right, continued to stretch across the grass field, and one to the left, leading them into an unknown forest's entrance. "I wonder which one we should pick…"

"Greta knows!" the girl exclaimed almost happily. "Let's go to the forest!"

Yuuri blinked. "Why the forest?"

"Because, in the stories Anissina often reads to Greta, the Prince Charming always has to go into a forest and fight a lot of evil things before he finds the Princess trapped somewhere in the forest and rescues her!" Greta paused, and then shrugged. "Well, the Princess could be trapped in some kind of dungeon or tower or castle or even a casket, but usually, it's in the forest, so…"

The little princess tugged her father's hand almost expectantly, and Yuuri had no choice but to go with his daughter's decision. Silently wondering how in Shin Makoku did Anissina managed to get Earth's fairy tale books and even translating it, he made a note to explain to Greta later—when this was all over—that fairy tales didn't really exist…

Wait. But he didn't know what this world was, so maybe fairy tales do exist here?

Ha shook his head and mentally kicked himself for somewhat feeling hopeful that fairy tales exists. Following Greta, the two of them finally stood before the entrance of the forest, and Yuuri had to admit, the forest actually did have an enchanted feeling to it.

He was snapped out of his thoughts, though, when sounds of happy voices and laughter reached his ears. He looked down at Greta who looked up back at him curiously, and with a confirming nod, Yuuri slowly led her along the small path into the forest.

The path soon revealed a huge clearing in the middle of the forest, somewhat oval-shaped—but the oddest thing was that there were many children and young teenagers there, sitting, running around, laying down, sleeping, wrestling playfully, even singing and dancing. Both Yuuri and Greta's mouth fell open in disbelief, as Yuuri mentally counted that there were around thirty to thirty-five people on the clearing.

A flash of gold caught the corner of Yuuri's eyes, and the Maou's head quickly turned to follow the movement. His eyes widened—there, surrounded by little boys and girls and flowers and small animals, was Wolfram, laughing and smiling oh-so-freely that Yuuri had to smile himself. The golden-haired noble was happy.

A gasp on his side, and Greta's voice reached his ears, "Yuuri…that's Wolfram!"

Yuuri could only nod—everything felt surreal to him. There was his fiancé, looking so happy and free, surrounded by children and playing ridiculous games with animals, and for once, Yuuri felt like looking at a princess in a fairy tale, and Wolfram felt so, so far away.

And for some reason, he didn't like it.

It wasn't that he disliked Wolfram smiling and laughing and his happy face, nor his melodious voice humming softly with the children—he just didn't like how far away Wolfram seemed, even though their distance was only a few meters. Correction—he didn't really like that he wasn't included in the situation where Wolfram seemed to be happy …and open.

He disliked the fact that it wasn't him making Wolfram's green eyes shine with happiness, disliked that it was instead a group of strangers doing so.

"Hello, little one? What are you doing away from the clearing?" a feminine sound rose behind them, and Yuuri nearly jumped in surprise if not for Greta's hand in his. He spun around, only to meet the slender figure of a woman, with grey, thick hair flowing until it pooled on her feet, each strands gleamed under the sun's rays peeking in through the thick canopy of the forest. She was fair-skinned and quite tall, clad in white gown and her beautiful face was perfectly oval-shaped, with long eyelashes and warm, grey eyes that looked at Greta with such gentleness.

"Eh.. ummm…" Greta seemed to be lost for words at the sight of the amazing beauty before her. The woman—Yuuri would guess she was around nineteen or twenty—smiled at her and reached for her free hand. Tugging it lightly, she beckoned his daughter to follow him.

"Come on, you shouldn't be away from the clearing too long. It's not safe."

Yuuri frowned, feeling as if he were being dismissed. "Err.. excuse me, miss…?"

A pair of grey eyes shifted to look at him sharply, and Yuuri flinched at the cold stare. He managed to stare back, though—having experienced Gwendal's death glare whenever he decided something reckless so this was not something he couldn't handle.

"I need to speak with Wolfram." He nodded at Wolfram's direction to stress his point.

"So you're seeking to get him back." The grey eyes narrowed, and the young woman said coldly, "You're not allowed here. You're not part of us. You haven't found any part of him, so you're not allowed to speak with him either."

Yuuri's eyebrows rose in confusion. "I haven't found…part of him? What do you—"

"Very clueless. Do you not know what this place is?" At Yuuri's shake of head, she sighed. "I guessed as much. And yet you asked this child to go out of the clearing…it's very dangerous."

"What's dangerous?" Greta piped in, looking puzzled. "Everything looks peaceful around here…"

"Go look somewhere else for him." The woman continued, as if Greta's words were merely the wind breezed by. "When you have found and understand him, you can come back here and try again."

Shinou's words suddenly echoed in Yuuri's mind, "Open the door and seek him. Only when you understand his heart can you bring him back."

Did that mean he had to understand Wolfram fully by exploring this world? This world of… of Wolfram's heart? That would make sense. If this world was Wolfram's heart, then if he could understand why this world was like this, then he would understand Wolfram, right?

"Come on, little one. Your friends are waiting," again, Greta's hand was tugged, more strongly than before. Greta opened her mouth to protest, but Yuuri's hand squeezed hers slightly in reassurance. Confused, she looked up to see Yuuri lowering himself until he was eye-level with her.

"Greta, will you listen to me? Go with her, it's alright. Take care of yourself and Wolfram for me, okay?"

"But how about you?" Greta murmured worriedly, looking torn between going to see Wolfram or going with Yuuri away from the place where Wolfram was.

The Maou let her hand go and mussed up her brown, curly hair a little. "I'll be back here to pick you and Wolfram up, as soon as I can. You trust me, don't you?"

Greta nodded. "And Greta's sure Wolfram does, too…" she added almost in a hurry. Yuuri rewarded her a bright smile for that, and the little princess seemed to understand.

"We'll wait, Yuuri."

"Yes. I'll be back in a bit."

Greta knew—as the young woman tugged her to join the children looking at her curiously in the clearing—that 'in a bit' could mean the next hour, tonight, tomorrow, next week, or even next month or a year, but she knew she would wait. Because that was what she had learned the most from Wolfram.

And, Greta mused as she let go of the young woman's hand and ran towards Wolfram, if being here meant waiting, that would mean that Wolfram had been waiting for them to come for him, all the time, wouldn't it?

-----o0oYuuRamo0o-----

"Who are you?"

Gwendal's left eyebrow twitched as he looked down at the boy sitting on the chair in the room he was in.

He had no idea how in Shin Makoku did he end up stuck in some kind of a mountain—and he was close to freezing from the mountain winds when he found a small mansion out of nowhere and decided to enter. No one had welcomed him when he entered, no one came across him when he walked across the castle hall and up the stairs, and no one had showed up when he finally entered a room that turned out to be a huge bedroom consisting of a bed, a sofa, a chair, and toys scattered on the floor.

So many toys that he found it hard to even find a place to put his feet down.

And sitting quietly on the wooden chair next to the window watching the rain patter on the glass, was a small boy with blond hair and oh-so-familiar emerald eyes, looking at him with a curiosity only a boy could muster.

"Don't fool around," Gwendal used his stern voice—almost guiltily when his faux brother flinched. "Why are you here… in this form, anyway? Let's go home, Wolfram."

The boy on the chair pursed his lips in confusion. "I'm sorry, you must have mistaken me for someone else. I am not Wolfram."

Gwendal nearly growled in frustration. For Shinou's sake, he'd been living with his brother for more than eighty years! There was no way he could mistook someone else for Wolfram. Not when the clear green eyes were looking up with such familiar expression on his face, not when the same exact tone he'd missed for months was flowing in the familiar voice, not when the pattern of speech was so recognizable to him.

"This isn't time for games." He ignored a wave of déjà vu that washed through him. The most important task for him now was taking Wolfram back. Stepping forward, he avoided a hand-knitted bear that looked like a goat on the floor. Almost absently, he noted that Wolfram wasn't taking good care of the doll he'd made himself.

"But I am not Wolfram." The child persisted, wearing a look of pure panic on his cute, naïve face. "I don't know who you are talking about, but Wolfram is not me. I am not him, and I don't know who he is. I am not lying, I swear."

Gwendal paused in his track, eyebrows knitted as another crease formed on his forehead.

There was no mistake that it was Wolfram. But… why did the child deny that he was Wolfram?

Deciding to venture out for the truth, Gwendal voiced out firmly, "Then, who are you?"

The child looked up at him in surprise, before his face again changed into one of a solemn expression, and muttered blankly, "I don't know."

-----o0oYuuRamo0o-----

The sharp tip of the blade was pointing right in front of his nose, and Conrad had to remind himself that he couldn't draw his sword and slashed the person pointing the blade at him, because it was Wolfram and Wolfram was his brother, even though right now, Wolfram looked thirty years younger that he actually was.

"Oh." The blond blinked once when he saw Conrad wasn't retaliating. Drawing back his sword, he nodded apologetically, "I'm sorry. You surprised me, so it was a reflex."

On his side, Murata let out a relieved breath, clearly not expecting Wolfram to react in such a way when Conrad called him out and tapped his shoulder. Eyeing Yuuri's Godfather, he knew that Conrad was more shocked than he actually looked.

"I'm sorry," the blond mustered up a thin smile. "Is there anything I can help you with?"

Murata watched Conrad's eyes widened in disbelief, and took pity on the older man as he voiced out in an almost trembling voice, "Wolfram…?"

A pair of emerald eyes blinked.

"I'm sorry, you must have mistaken me for someone else. I am not Wolfram."

To say that Conrad was taken aback was the understatement of the year, Murata thought. The man was shocked beyond words—because, as Murata also knew, there was no way that wasn't Wolfram. It was clearly the same Wolfram they were looking for, only younger, and Murata knew Conrad would not mistake anyone for his brother since the older man practically raised Wolfram when he was children.

"If you'll excuse me, I have somewhere to go. Goodbye."

With those words, the golden-haired figure left.

Watching Wolfram go down the path in the direction of the nearby town, Murata sighed and patted Conrad's shoulder. "Weller-kyo, don't worry, you're right. It's Von Bielefeld-kyo."

Brown eyes turned to him, thousands of question shone in them. Murata shrugged, as if he had anticipated what had happened, and gave a sheepish grin as Conrad's eyes narrowed.

"Geika…"

"I'll explain," Murata answered quickly, knowing that it wouldn't be best to make fun of Conrad in this situation. "But first, let's not lose him from our sights; it will be hard to find him again if we lose him. This world is absurd, nothing is sure, and even though everything seems surreal, this is the reality for those in it."

Nodding in understanding, Conrad started walking, now hastening his steps as Murata followed him. Eyes focused on the figure of his brother walking not too far ahead of them, he inquired one thing that had been nagging him since he came into the chamber in Shinou's Shrine, "What are all of these?"

"These?" Murata looked at him, amused. "That's a clever way to ask about everything in one sentence, Weller-kyo."

"If Geika would be so kind to explain."

"Well, to put it in an easy way, this place is Von Bielefeld-kyo's heart. Everything that you see here is his way of looking at things around him. The others might have ended up in different sides of the place, depending on where their place in Von Bielefeld-kyo's heart is. And they would be meeting another part of Von Bielefeld-kyo there, depending on how he sees them." Murata tapped his chin. "A person's heart is vast, you see."

"Another part of Wolfram?" Conrad repeated.

"Well, if you would look at it from a stranger's eyes—this world has multiple Von Bielefeld-kyos in it. Each clone has a part of him, so they're essentially one and whole. Do you get where I'm going?"

Conrad's eyes widened as her remembered Shinou's words. "We have to understand Wolfram if we want to bring him back… does that mean…"

Murata grinned. "Bingo. You can't understand a person as a whole if you can't understand his parts. Parts make a whole, after all."

"I see."

"The thing is," Murata's face changed into that of a serious one. "Everyone has a darkness in their hearts. Even Shibuya. And of course, Von Bielefeld-kyo. That darkness took a form in this world, and it could be dangerous if we were to encounter such creature."

"It would be best if we finish everything quickly?"

"Yes, since I'm pretty sure that Shibuya is clueless about everything here, and he could get himself tangled up in danger."

Conrad's steps sped up, and Murata had to jog to keep up with him. "Geika?"

"Yeah?"

"Why did you end up here with me?"

"Well," Murata grinned. "I kind of choose to attach myself to you the moment the door was open, since I don't want to get stuck here all by myself. I could've strayed somewhere dangerous, depending on how Von Bielefeled-kyo sees me. So I attached my maryoku onto you."

Conrad refrained from rolling his eyes, but chuckled anyway.

-----o0oend chaptero0o-----

A/N: To be honest, I feel like the plot is getting out of the hand. –sobs- It's getting weirder, isn't it? –scratches head-

That's why I'd appreciate all constructive criticisms and reviews. Please, please do drop some words, because I felt encouraged when I read them. Kindly drop some words for me, please….

Thank you for reading!

-isumi'kivic' and ilde-


	16. What They Faced

Title: Pride and Prejudice

Author: isumi'kivic'

Beta: Mabs-fantasy

Pairings: YuuriWolfram, brotherly GwenConWolf.

Warnings and Disclaimer: Standard warning, see previous chapters for disclaimers.

A/N: Happy holiday and belated New Year, everyone! XD I wish you all the best. Thank you so much for everyone who had reviewed the last chapter—it really means a lot to me. I'm really sorry for the late update (again), and I really shouldn't give you any reasons of my late-ness, but here is chapter 16, and I hope you'd enjoy it. =]

Thousands of hugs again for Az-sama, who always gives me her time to beta and listens to me even when she's really busy. –hugs- And of course, for Rizu, pandawolf, and ThiA-LieN, for our late night conference. They're so much fun we should do it again! XD XD XD

No further ado, then. Enjoy.

_**Pride and Prejudice**_

_Chapter 16: What They Faced_

The atmosphere felt like it was choking him.

"Stop joking." Gwendal nearly growled in impatience, expecting the-kid-who-was-supposedly-his-youngest-brother to nod and apologize at once, just like when he was a kid. "Wolfram, we need to go."

He tried walking a step forward, avoiding the scattered toys on the floor. Brilliant green eyes looked up, following every movement he made, curious and confused and scared—causing Gwendal to falter. The look on his brother's eyes was enough to raise bile in his throat.

"Wolfram."

"I told you, I am not Wolfram."

Gwendal stared at him in exasperated disbelief. "You said yourself you don't know who you are."

"Yes. But I'm not Wolfram." _Little Brat_, Gwendal thought despite himself, almost amused. This was exactly how Wolfram had always acted towards him. Stubborn and a bit bratty, but never losing the tone of respect. It brought back memories—and somehow it gave him hope: His brother was still alive, and he could be brought back. It was Wolfram before him, just in the form of a kid.

Raking the gray strands of his hair, he decided to try another way. He was speaking with a child, he reminded himself. No matter how old actually Wolfram was, his brother was in front of him as a child. So, he would try dealing with him like he did years ago.

"Do you know me?" He ventured, not quite sure on how the kid perceived him as; enemy or friends.

Confusion was clear on the kid's face. "I—no, sir. I don't think so. I'm sorry."

Gwendal didn't know which made his heart constrict in the first place—the fact that Wolfram had completely forgotten him, or the fact that his little brother's tone indicated no sign of wanting to know who he was.

"You shouldn't be here, sir. It gets dangerous at night around here."

For once, Gwendal was reminded of the reprimanding tone he use to hear from Wolfram's nannies years ago—how did it go again? "Young Prince, you should not be here. Your brothers are busy, and you should not bother them. Come, we will play in your room instead."

He didn't know what to make of that.

"If it's dangerous around here at night, the why are you still here?"

The blond kid cocked his head. The night wind breezed into the room, and that was when Gwendal noticed the opened-window behind Wolfram's figure. It was getting darker out with each passing second, and Gwendal had to suppress a shudder as the chilly wind hit him.

"Well—that's because I'm not supposed to play around too much and bother everybody. I have to behave—I'm a prince, you know."

The older man raised his eyebrows. It had been such a long time since he last heard Wolfram talk that way. "Who told you that?"

"The Nannies." The boy replied, now drawing his legs up the chair and hugged them, almost curling into them. He had an unreadable expression on his face as he continued, "I want to go out to the villages, but they say it's dangerous to go there right now by myself. Everyone's always busy, sometimes it makes me mad."

"Who is everyone?" Gwendal's tone dropped drastically. He had never really listened to his brother back then. Everything was so jumbled—the Kingdom, his mother, his stupid uncle, the lessons, the paperwork, the upcoming war, the criminals. There was only so much a young prince like he could do. There had bound to be something he missed to keep an eye on in his life—and shamefully, that thing just happened to be his brother.

The boy blinked. Once. Twice.

"I don't know. Just—everyone."

The word was almost like a cue. The chilly wind suddenly rushed in, flinging open the window and making it banged against the stone wall. The wind hit him hard on the face and he had to look away, shielding himself with his hand—and then there was a terrified shriek, and the sound of something big flapping—

Against the rush of the wind, Gwendal opened his eyes and shouted. "Wolfram!"

His eyes widened. There, on the window, was a huge black bird—with wings almost as huge as his own office, and yet it seemed to creep into the room easily, looming before a terrified Wolfram; red, blank eyes examining the kid hungrily.

Like a shadow.

"No!" the shriek echoed in the chamber, buzzing in his ears as it blended with the sound of the wind and the flapping of the creature's wings. He watched little Wolfram scrambled off the chair, snatching a wooden sword and upheld it clumsily—his grip tight, his posture trembled, emerald eyes determinedly looking up towards the creature, filled with fear and yet so much courage. "Don't come any closer!"

Gwendal's hand flew to the hilt of his sword, and pulling it out, he charged towards the creature. His protective instinct flared up as he slashed the creature, who merely gave a groan, and suddenly, it was gone.

No. It moved.

In a flash, Wolfram was grabbed by that huge beak—and Gwendal only had the time to gasp as the creature flew out of the window, up, up, up—

"Wolfram!!"

—and away—

Gritting his teeth, Gwendal swung his body up the window and jumped down. Eyes fixed at the flying black bird, he set off to chase it.

-----o0oYuuramo0o-----

The young blond soldier was definitely irritated.

"Stop following me!" he snapped, eyeing a worried-looking Conrad and a clearly-amused Murata. "Who the hell are you two, anyway?"

Before Conrad could even open his mouth to answer, Murata had quickly laughed boyishly, scratching his head. "We just happened to be going in the same direction. You don't mind if we tag along, do you?" Trust only Murata to act like nothing was wrong when nothing was right at all.

The blond looked at them with a raised eyebrow, before saying quietly. "You're a soukoku. Who are you?"

"No, I'm not." Murata grinned carelessly. Countless of lives he had lived down had perfected his acting, and it came in handy most of the times. "I dyed my hair so I could pass the border without a passport. You see, our belongings were stolen."

The look on Wolfram's eyes was incredulous. Deep green eyes scrutinizing both Conrad and Murata's figures critically, trying to spot anything suspicious about them. Aside from the sword on Conrad's side, he seemed to found nothing potentially harmful from them. The double-black didn't even have any weapons with him.

Not that he'd lower his guard so easily, though. "I suppose, yes..." he said deliberately. "But I'm going into the forest. Just a warning—it's dangerous in there."

"It's safer to go together, then." Conrad cut in, seemingly a bit restless. He looked long past Wolfram's figure, into the entrance of the forest, as if expecting any creature to jump out and attack them. There was nothing positive he could catch from this forest—it actually emanated a negative feeling that chilled him to the bone. Almost like a warning. And he didn't like the idea of his brother going in there, alone.

Wolfram shrugged carelessly, before making his way towards the forest entrance. Almost immediately, Conrad followed—and so did Murata, this time closing their distance because of the danger they knew lurking before them. Cautiously, Conrad positioned himself on Wolfram's right side, and kept his distance of a step behind him, keeping an eye for the Daikenja walking close to his right.

They walked in silence for several moments, following a small, uneven dirt path that stretched and seemingly had no end. The silence reigned over them until Wolfram suddenly said—almost in a whisper—to Conrad, "You're human."

"No, he's half-human." Murata was the one who answered airily, and the young soldier muttered something that sounded like "That's what I meant," and sped up a little.

Allowing a piece of hope slipping into his heart, Conrad dared asking, "How do you know I'm half-human?"

"I just know." The snap came too readily. "Don't ask me how, I don't know. And don't get too close to me!"

Conrad's shoulders visibly sagged a little. "I… see." He forced a calm smile to appear on his face, as he heard the vague humming sound coming from the Daikenja. He turned to regard the soukoku with a questioning look, but Murata only winked cheekily.

It was almost five minutes later when Wolfram suddenly stopped dead in his tracks. Conrad immediately halted, and caution flashed in his eyes as he saw Wolfram kneeling, checking something on the ground. "What is it?" he asked.

The young soldier rose back to his feet; his right hand ready on the hilt of his sword. "The shadows have just passed here. The soil here is damp and smells bad."

"Shadows?" Conrad repeated in a questioning tone—but Wolfram had drawn out his sword and fell into a fighting stance, exclaiming, "They're coming!"

And four black, huge creatures flashed—Conrad only had time to draw his sword and put on a defensive stance as his sword clashed with something _hard_ and the impact sent him a good three feet backwards. Landing on his feet gracefully, he looked up to see the creature—a huge, black, tiger-looking creature—looming before the alarmed Daikenja.

"Geika, get down!" He dashed forward, but not as fast as a fire lion that suddenly burst out and vanquished the creature before Murata into black particles. Catching his breath, Conrad dodged another similar creature—his sword connected onto the neck of the creature and he slashed through what felt like thick, empty air. The creature exploded into black particles with a quiet ringing voice.

Regaining his position next to Murata, Conrad once again fell into a defensive stance. From the corner of his eyes, he could see Wolfram edging closer to them, green eyes fixed on the last two similar-looking creatures now circling them with a predatory growl.

"These shadows are really annoying..." he heard Wolfram murmur behind him, followed by Murata's breathless chuckle. His eyes moved to Murata for a second, quickly scanning the Daikenja's appearance for any visible wound.

"Here they come." Wolfram grunted, and he snapped into attention as his brother charged forward to attack one of the so-called shadows. He couldn't watch what happened next, though, as the other shadow decided to attack and dashed towards him at an unbelievable speed. Conrad pushed Murata away further as he raised his sword in a defensive stance, clashing with the creature's black fangs. Black saliva dripped onto his face and uniform as he struggled to maintain his balance and pushed the creature forward, slashing at the creature while doing so.

The creature evaded smartly. It circled him for a second before charging towards him again, its sharp fangs dangerously closed in towards his shoulder. Conrad jumped back and thrust his sword forward, only to find one huge paw hit him on the stomach before the sword even reached its target. Losing his balance, Conrad felt himself being thrown backwards several feet, and then suddenly, the creature leapt over him and charged—

—towards Wolfram.

Dread filled his existence almost like hearing amused chuckles of a God of Death.

"Wolfram, look out!"

The young soldier was still engaged in a clash between his sword and the creature's fangs as the other one rushed towards him. Stumbling back a little, Wolfram gritted his teeth as he swiveled his body around and changed his sword's position, twisting his sword and thrusting it upwards through the creature's mouth. A fang sank down his upper arm, drawing blood, and Wolfram bit his lips as he summoned his element to hurl it down the creature's body, listening to the howl it emitted as it was vanquished.

He only had a split-second before a flash of black hit him on the chest, knocking him backwards as he gasped, feeling all oxygen escaping him. He managed to raise his sword in time to defend but the creature growled as it pushed him down onto the ground. Wolfram gritted his teeth, pushing back with no avail, and was about to try raising his foot to kick, when suddenly the shadow blasted into black particles.

He blinked up to see Conrad standing there, sword in hand, breathing hard.

Conrad let out a relieved sigh, as he sheathed back his sword. Bending slightly to offer his hand, he asked softly, "Are you alright, Wolfram?"

The hand was swatted roughly as Wolfram rose to his feet; his expression indignant. There was fire blazing on his eyes as he answered coldly. "I'm not Wolfram. And what you were doing was unnecessary."

"A thank you would be proper, though." Murata said lightly; his glasses glinting under the scarce sunlight streaming through the trees. He smirked when Wolfram threw him an angry glare, but the attention he got was quickly given back to Conrad.

"I did not ask you to help me. I didn't need your help. Especially not from a half-human like you."

Conrad opened his mouth, but words seemed to have left him completely. His gaze hardened. It had been so long since the last time Wolfram regarded him so disdainfully, and he had forgotten how to force a smile after the hateful tone. So he sighed inaudibly instead, setting his face into an unreadable expression, fully aware of the amused Daikenja watching him close by.

"Don't get too close to me." The young soldier bit again, before turning around and stomped off.

Murata chuckled, following Wolfram in long steps and motioned for Conrad to get going before they lost sight of the blond.

-----o0oYuuramo0o-----

Morgif moaned in victory as once again it slashed another weird-looking shadow that stood on his way. It swung forward in excitement, making weird noises and snorts that could be interpreted as a victory hail; while the young Maou tried his hardest to handle the excited sword.

"Morgif, stop that!"

"Auughh!! Hauuuugghh!!!"

"I said stop making that weird noises! It's creeping me out..." Yuuri sheathed the sword with much difficulty, praying to Shinou—no, scratch that, Shinou would only make everything worse—to every God possible that Morgif would shut up for once.

It had been hours since he set out of the forest, deciding to follow the path that crossed the grass field. He'd come upon an abrupt end of the grass field, and before him was a vast area of mountainous land. Shocking, of course, but Yuuri was determined to see where this ended. To find his fiancé, and to apologize. Apologize for not realizing what he had done. What he had thrown away numerous times. Or easier, just for being a complete wimp that he was.

Only minutes after he started down the path of mountainous area, weird-looking, black, shadowy creatures had popped out of nowhere and attacked him. He had no idea what those creatures were, mind you, and when he slashed them, it felt like slashing ghosts. Thick, empty air. And yet those creatures exploded still into tiny black particles, causing Morgif to whoop in victory.

Or at least that was what he interpreted. That sword never did make much sense to him.

"Wolfram's heart is sure confusing." He murmured as he trotted up the path on the side of the tall hill he'd picked to climb up. Smiling a little as he recalled how often he himself was confused on how to deal with Wolfram, he thought it was true that Wolfram had a complicated personality. But that was what probably made him fall for Wolfram in the first place. A complicacy appeared when something changed, and if Wolfram was complicated, that meant he was changing. Maturing. And perhaps, the change even confused Wolfram, and that was probably why his heart was like this.

His expression turned somber as he realized that his denial of their relationship was not helping at all. But he was changing himself, maturing in such a way since he had come to Shin Makoku. Everyone here had changed him. Wolfram had also changed him.

For the better, he hoped. And he wanted Wolfram to know that. It was the first step of his trying to make everything right again.

The hill was high, and the slope was not easy to climb. Yuuri halted, breathing heavily. He was no mountain-climber, not even a hiker. Chuckling a bit, he stretched his arms, deciding to rest for a moment. There was no need to rush. The better he could understand this place, the easier for him to understand Wolfram, right? Though, if Wolfram was here, the blond would probably have snickered and announced that Yuuri should train more. A Maou should not be a wimp, he'd say.

He stepped up, intending to reach the spot with a medium-sized tree looming over it, and the ground beneath his feet crumbled.

"Ehh?" was the only thing his throat could let out, before he felt his feet had nothing to step upon, and gravity pulled him mercilessly down, down to the abyssal darkness beneath.

A scream erupted from his throat, and everything went dark.

-----o0oYuuramo0o-----

Her adoptive father's smile was superbly blinding.

"Greta!"

To say that the smile was a rarity was a lie. Greta hadn't even known the perfectly happy smile actually existed before she saw this one. The way Wolfram's eyes were crinkled, and the way his corners of mouth were stretched so wide and how his face was almost sparkling with happiness—Greta had to admit she was speechless.

A pale hand waved, motioning her to come closer. Greta blinked—the sun seemed to be able to penetrate the thick canopy of the forest in this clearing, and its rays fell directly on Wolfram, illuminating his golden hair and pale figure. Her father—and she was not a girl who liked to exaggerate things, you know—looked almost like an _angel_.

The thought entered her mind almost instantly—How could anyone not love this person?

She broke away from the lady's tight grip and rushed towards Wolfram; arms stretched out widely and eyes brimming with happy tears, pushing away the children who surrounded her father, and buried herself into Wolfram's welcoming arms. She felt rather than heard the chuckle that made Wolfram's chest rumbled softly, and found herself chuckling, too. Oh, she missed Wolfram.

And so she said, with a naivety of a little girl, "I miss you, Wolfram."

"Hmm?" Wolfram's smile widened—if possible. "Silly girl." And his hand moved to ruffle her curly brown locks, making her laughed.

"Ne, Wolfram? Let's go home?" She looked up, gazing into those emerald orbs, ready to beg if Wolfram refused. The hand on her head fell to her side, and her eyes went wide when Wolfram blinked at her almost owlishly, confusion clear in his eyes. His expression turned uncertain, and the ex-prince laughed almost nervously, before replying, "But I am home."

It was her turn to blink owlishly.

"Eh?"

A girl on her side suddenly piped up, "Hey, Wolfram, how about the continuation of the story? You haven't finished it, yet!"

"Right." The small laugh was gentle, but Greta found herself growing anxious by each second that passed. What did he meant by he was home? This was not their home! Another voice of the children rose up, asking Greta to sit next to Wolfram so they could continue with the story, but the dread coiling in her stomach made her clutch Wolfram's faded blue shirt tightly as she tried to get his attention again.

"But we're not—Greta thinks—oh, don't you want to meet Yuuri, Wolfram? Yuuri misses you—everybody does, and—"

But then a pair of emerald eyes regarded her with a confused, a bit curious, and penetrating gaze, while a sentence that came out of his mouth froze Greta's world completely.

"Yuuri? Who is Yuuri? Your friend?"

-----o0oYuuRamo0o-----

"Yuuri?"

The voice—velvety, gentle and soft—was familiar. Too familiar.

"Yuuri—hey, wake up."

He knew that voice. Heck, he missed that voice.

"Wimp, wake up!"

His eyes flew open immediately as his brain registered the nickname. He scrambled reflexively, and instantly yowled as a sharp pain jolted his shoulders, hips and back. It didn't stop his eyes from quickly sweeping the place he was in—some kind of an extremely dark cave?—looking for the figure who owned the familiar voice.

"Wolfram?" he called out tentatively. Almost scared that it was all his imagination. That it was only a dream, or hallucination, or—

"Turn around, wimp." The voice held an amused tone in it. Slowly, as if bracing himself to confirm that the voice was only his hallucination, Yuuri turned his head, resisting the urge to close his eyes.

But he didn't need to worry.

Wolfram was there. Sitting, leaning on the cave wall, smiling widely at him. Clad in white shirt and trousers, his emerald eyes still holding the same loving gaze Yuuri was too familiar with. His figure was pale, but somewhat emitted a faint light surrounding him, a contrast with the darkness of this cave. So much alive, so very—beautiful. Ethereal. So… far away.

Yuuri didn't like the last fact. So he rose to his feet, almost losing his balance but managed to catch himself in time, and walked unsteadily towards the blond.

"Idiot! You just fell from somewhere up there, don't move around so fast!" Wolfram, being Wolfram, of course, quickly went over to him with that 'why-are-you-so-stupid' expression on his face, steadying him. Yuuri's breath hitched as the pale, cold hands gripped his arms, and something in his chest burst out, as he blindly grabbed onto Wolfram's shoulder, and pulled him into a tight embrace, ignoring the surprised yelp Wolfram emitted.

"Yuu--Yuuri?"

"I was so worried." Yuuri whispered, feeling overwhelmed. It felt like the burden weighing on his chest since forever had finally exploded. "I was so worried! I thought--I'm sorry… I'm sorry, Wolfram." His eyes stung, and he tried to fight the urge to cry. "Forgive me.."

"Forgive… you?" the voice was full of confusion, even as Yuuri felt a pair of arms tentatively creep up his back, winding themselves around him and turning the one-sided hug into a proper embrace. "What are you sorry for?"

"Everything." Yuuri breathed out, not finding the energy to actually use his voice now that relief had hit him full force. "Everything. Everything I have ever done—oh God, Wolfram. I'm—I'm so glad."

"But you've never done anything wrong." Wolfram's voice was soft, yet still sounded confused. "There's nothing to apologize—"

"Yes, there is. A lot. No, Wolfram, listen--" he tightened his embrace when the slender body in his arms started to break away. "I've thought about it. I've thought about everything, and I know—I understand now how much I've hurt you…I've been unfair, haven't I? And I'm sorry, I really am... Can we start all over again? Not worth it—me, I mean, but if you would—just a chance…"

"Yuuri," Wolfram still struggled, but Yuuri wouldn't budge. He knew he'd be speechless if he had to say everything right on Wolfram's face, and he didn't need that now. He needed himself to articulate everything he wanted to say—and even now he knew he was rambling, not making any sense, and the anxiety coiling in his stomach made his throat tightened up—but he wouldn't stop. He couldn't—

"Yuuri, let go. Please—what's gotten into you? You never did anything wrong!"

And then it hit him.

Something was wrong.

And it made the anxiety that rose in him instantly turned into fright.

Something was definitely wrong.

Wolfram would never say that. He wouldn't say 'never did anything wrong'. If any, he would say, 'haven't done anything wrong'. Because Wolfram, more than anyone else, should know that everyone has done something wrong at some point in their lives.

He released the figure in his arms—confused onyx eyes delved into emerald ones—and tentatively asked, "Wolf?"

Wearing that half-annoyed, half-blushing expression still, his fiancé replied, "What? What's gotten into you? Apologizing like mad—you've never done anything wrong to me, Yuuri. Not once. You've never hurt me. What are you apologizing for?"

Something was strange.

He just couldn't quite put his fingers on it.

-----end chapter-----

A/N: Do I make people confused? No worries, explanation will be coming in later chapters. XD That aside, would you spare your time a little and review, just to tell me what you think? =] Con-crits and positive reviews are very welcomed, and I don't pay any attention to flames. Thank you so much for reading this far!

Next Chapter: When everyone deals with their own Wolfram.

Lotsa hugs,

-isumi'kivic' and Ilde-


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